One of the challenges with Christmas or the festive season here in Australia in general is that it is not very “festive” for someone who comes from the Northern Hemisphere. It doesn’t feel cosy, doesn’t make you want to smell the scents or have a mulled wine. It is pretty much the opposite with hot and long days.
The Lifeguards at the beach do decorate, too.
At home we decorate our (artificial) tree and have an Herrnhuter Stern (Moravian Star).
One special thing we do is place my Koalas in the tree – they are the reason why I am in Australia after all. And it is inspired by this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYIKJ90yzG0
If there is a meal that is connected to Christmas eve in particular for us, it’s “Sächsischer Kartoffelsalat” based on family recipe:
Mix and you have the vegetarian summer version. For the winter version replace the cucumber with a glass of pickled gherkin. For the meat version add one Polish / Strasbourg sausage diced.
I had it on that evening almost every year of my life – in Germany with Wiener (Frankfurter) and here in Australia with a nice steak.
“Merry Christmas from Sydney, Australia!”
Stefan Dunkel
Senior Pre-Sales Consultant
For New Year’s Eve, my daughter and I (and anyone else who wants to) build and burn a “house of hopes and regrets”.
We build a “house” out of used boxes and wrapping paper. Doesn’t need to be anything fancy, but it has to have a chimney. On New Year’s Eve, each participant writes their regrets for the past year and hopes for the year ahead on little slips of paper, then put them in the house via the chimney. Then we light the house on fire and watch it burn.
Apart from that, my favorite Christmas song is:
“A Happy New Year from New Orleans!”
Annie Bleecker
Director Product Marketing
Each Christmas season, our community (which has docks on the water) here on Hilton Head Island, SC, decorates our boats with Christmas lights, along with the marina.
We then gather for Christmas libations one evening on the dock, and another evening we participate in a Christmas boat parade on the water where we pass many homes and restaurants. This allows for others to enjoy the nautical spirit of the season.
“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Hilton Head Island!”
Our family has a few special traditions we enjoy between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. As our families grew over the years, exchanging gifts with everyone became financially and mentally exhausting. Similarly, attending numerous holiday events each season was burdensome.
As a resolution, we created a celebration called “Thanks-Mas”, held between Thanksgiving and Christmas. During this potluck dinner, each family brings a favorite dish and one small gift for a fun gift exchange game called “White Elephant.” This involves randomly picking and stealing wrapped silly or useful gifts, with special rules governing the number of times a gift can be taken.
Thanks-Mas allows us to come together, share a meal, and enjoy a lighthearted gift exchange without the stresses of purchasing numerous presents.
On the actual holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, we spend time with our own families. Favorite dishes in our home include scratch-made pumpkin pie, Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo. Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo is traditional for the area of South-East Texas and of course most of South Louisiana during the holiday season. Here is a typical Cajun recipe – naturally, each family is adding their own twists: https://www.realcajunrecipes.com/recipe/gumbo-making-101/
Growing up, we always decorated the tree the day after Thanksgiving, but now we put it up in early November and leave it until Three Kings Day in January.
Donald LeBlanc
Project Developer
My daughter was born on December 21 and Christmas brings so much happiness to my family. Hence, I love it.
Here is a typical Christmas recipe from my region:
Kerala Plum Cake
A traditional cake made during Christmas season, originating in Kerala, South India. It’s made of tutti frutti, pitted dates, two types of raisins, and dried cherries. You can also use figs, apricots, dried plums/prunes, black current, and different berries (cranberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc) as per your choice.
https://www.cookingandme.com/kerala-plum-cake-christmas-fruit-cake/
Many years ago, my children gave me a self-made present for my birthday: a family of four hedgehogs, whose spiky clothes were made from dried leaves.
We usually hung this hedgehog family in front of the living room window as a decoration in the fall.
As it happens, we sometimes forgot about it and only remembered in the run-up to Christmas that the hedgehogs were missing. The hedgehogs were given Santa hats to match the Christmas decorations. This was also very practical because the dried leaves on the hedgehogs crumbled a little over time and the hedgehogs no longer had any spines. With the Santa hat, the problem was no longer visible.
So it came about that the hedgehogs have been an integral part of our Christmas decorations for several years now.
Another family ritual is the movie “When Santa Fell to Earth” (“Als der Weihnachtsmann vom Himmel fiel”). This is the eleventh year we’ve watched the movie as a family in the run-up to Christmas. We can already speak along synchronously some of the scenes.
German Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/CjR-Eu-BZiI
English Trailer:
“Fröhliche Weihnachten from Hamburg, Germany!”
The area around our office in Japan will be decorated with large and small illuminations for Christmas from November on. Japan is a Buddhist country, but nevertheless the biggest event throughout the year in is the Christian celebration of Christmas. Jingle Bells is a favorite and well-known Christmas song here (in Japanese).
A favorite seasonal meal and traditional dish we often enjoy during the New Year is Ozoni, a soup with mochi (rice cake) and vegetables. It’s a dish that warms the heart and soul during the cold season. In addition, for New Year’s we prepare Osechi ryori (new year’s recipe), dishes that will last for a long time. This is not a very old custom, but seems to have started in the Edo period (1603-1868).
Also, in Japan we have a unique tradition of decorating with Kadomatsu, a pine decoration that is believed to welcome ancestral spirits. It’s a symbol of longevity and prosperity. Another special activity is writing Nengajo, which are New Year’s greeting cards. It’s a way of sending good wishes to friends and family and it holds a special place in our culture.
All of these traditions are special to the Japanese and their families as they represent a blend of reflection, celebration, and a strong sense of community, bringing us closer together during the holiday season.
During the holidays we enjoy being outdoors a lot, visiting Christmas markets, and skating on open ice rinks.
I’d love to share about the Olympic Plaza here in Calgary, which looks magical around Christmas time, and we spend a lot of time there. Christmas tree, decorations, ice rink, open fire pits, hot chocolate, tea, coffee, sweets, and treats – that’s what makes our holidays truly unforgettable!
In addition to cherishing time with my family during this season, I celebrate my birthday on December 24. I particularly enjoy indulging in lengthy meals and savoring good wine.
In France that means a combination of appetizer, starter, intermediate courses, main meal, cheese platter and dessert. Very common are oysters, foie gras with confit d’oignons on toast, smoked salmon, Christmas turkey stuffed with chestnuts as main course or a huge seafood platter (my favorite), then cheese and for dessert a bûche de noël.
Naturally, each course comes with a specific wine that works well with the food.
For me, Christmas is all about family. I have been lucky that I was able to celebrate not only in Germany where I was born, but also in England with my late husband’s family. However, they often came to Germany as well, as they appreciated the traditions.
First of all, the Christmas markets. In our town there’s only a very small one in front of the church in which I got married, but we have some unique ones in villages and towns around us. One market per weekend is always the plan.
Christmas Eve is nothing without potato salad, before the presents are opened. As much as I disliked it as a child, as I could not wait, the more I look forward to it now. A big mystery for me, still: When I was a child my father somehow managed to ring a bell in the room with the tree and the presents. And that was before we had any technology to support such a thing. He still does not tell me how he did it.
Decorations are very important for me and my family. This includes hand-made nativity scenes that take center position in the house. We have several – both large and small.
And, of course, the advent wreath or variation thereof. Every year the big discussion is which color to choose. Outside decorations are also important to light up the otherwise dark season.
Foodwise, next to the potato salad, which can be eaten as a stand-alone or with smoked salmon or sausages, brussels sprouts feature for sure on Christmas or Boxing Day. We buy them fresh from the farmer, still on the stalk.
And for songs: Silent Night is probably my favorite Christmas song. We have an album from the local, award winning choir. They also hold a concert each year which is a highlight. Their album starts playing each Sunday from 1st Advent to Christmas in our house. Click here to enjoy a concert recording (jump to 30min 30sec if you want to listen to my favorite).
The surovachka – as you can see on the left – is typically the branch of a cornel-tree decorated with colorful wool threads, ribbons, popcorn, dried fruits and kolaks (mini bagels). The children use the surovachka to ‘beat’ the back of the adults and make good wishes. In return they receive money.
One of the most beloved pies in Bulgaria is banitsa. We prefer to eat it for breakfast (but not only then) throughout the entire year. What is different for Christmas, however, is that most Bulgarians like to put pieces of paper with written best wishes in the banitsa – for good health, love, money, etc. Some also put a coin in the banitsa and believe that whoever finds it in their piece of pie will be extremely lucky in every aspect of life.
You’ll find a recipe for a traditional Bulgarian banitsa here: https://www.sainsburysmagazine.co.uk/recipes/breakfasts/bulgarian-banitsa
Enjoy a unique, localized Aussie version of Jingle Bells and a selection of Australia’s best party music for New Year’s Eve here.
“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from ScaleHub Australia!”
Traditional Indian dance meets “Jingle Bells”; plus take a listen to our Japan Sales Director’s favorite carols and some Bollywood party tunes.
From silent nights to final countdowns – click here to enjoy our selection of Europe’s most beloved Christmas carols and New Year’s Eve party classics.
There are so many popular holiday and party classics from the USA, it’s tough to make a selection for a short playlist… click here to discover what we chose.
“Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from ScaleHub USA”
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