I was always going to make a video this year about a “typical” Australian Christmas. The plan was to highlight the carefree nature of an Australian summer in contrast to a white Christmas.
Little did I know that this Christmas period would be anything but typical. As bushfires rage, plunging our cities into a smokey haze, it’s been a surreal time. Yet, there was some normality to Christmas so, here it is. Road Less Travelled presents A (not-so-typical) Australian (Bushfire) Christmas.
To support victims of the Australian bushfire crises, please donate to the Australian Red Cross.
An Australian Christmas is about sun, beach, drinking and eating. As the northern hemisphere shivers in a quintessential Christmas winter, we sweater downunder and do anything to escape the heat.
The funny thing is that we still follow all the Northern Hemisphere winter traditions… There we sit, sweating and swatting away flies as we stuff down hot roast turkey, ham and other heavy winter foods. It’s really quite ridiculous.
We listen to carols about sleigh bells, snow and open fires with a childlike sense of wonder and hope to one day experience a white Christmas. In a country that’s not predominantly religious or even traditional, we all become very sentimental over Christmas.
Even if you’re not normally a churchgoer, many will flock to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney to enjoy the ceremony and tradition of it all. If you plan to stay home then, it’s all about the Christmas ‘Carols by Candlelight’ on TV. Cheesy presenters bring us Aussie favourites who sing classic carols interspersed with corny jokes and the random appearance of Santa at some point.
Then, as the camera begins to pan and zoom in on sleeping babies in the arms of candlelit mothers, well, that our cue to put our own kids to bed and get ready for the coming of Santa and everything that follows.
So, to be transported on an Australian Christmas journey, take a look at our video episode above. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!