Are We Different from Your Country

Email received from Crystal, 18 December 2007
Hello. I am a school teacher in Mississippi. My son has a Christmas project to do before our holidays and he chose Australia because of the kangaroos. Anyhow, I have searched your website and I have found a lot of useful information on Australian traditions at Christmas time. However, I didn't find some things that his teacher is requiring.

• 1. What is Christmas called in Australia? (Or is it called the same as ours)
• 2. How do you say Merry Christmas in your language? (I know it isn't much different from ours, but maybe you all say something different)
• 3. What do you call your Santa Clause? (If it is any different than ours)

Before I found your website I was on a website that said turkey, dressing, and mince pie are samples of your holiday meal. Is this true?

If I'm not mistaken I believe my son is supposed to attempt to cook something that is made at Christmas time in Australia or maybe just talk about some things cooked there on Christmas.

I would very much appreciate your help. Thank you ahead of time for your help. Also thank you for your awesome website.

I trust that my answer may assist you and your child.
The answer to his first 3 questions is that we are the same as the USA.

The second section of my page tww.id.au/christmas/fun.html provides a tongue-in-cheek answer to how we say Merry Christmas. He could print Merry Christmas" on a page and present the page up-side-down. The Man in Red section at the bottom of this page answers the 3rd question.

As for food. Meat mince pies are not common but small (2 inches) fruit mince pies are used as sweets or nibbles with drinks, they are made from currents and raisins etc. Turkey is often eaten either hot or cold. Served as cold turkey and gravy or hot turkey and cranberry sauce.

This is an extract from my page at tww.id.au/christmas/christmas-recipes.html "A person raised in inland Queensland states that the traditional Christmas food in that state is cold ham, cold turkey, salad and cold beer, paper hat with the colour running down the face due to the heat followed by a long sleep on the veranda." Please check the remainder of the page for other recipes.   Perhaps your son could take some cold meats and demonstrate the sleep on the veranda.

This year part of our family (our baby is 50 years of age) is having a cold lunch on Christmas day and the other half a cold lunch the next day. We (my wife and I) are flying from Sydney to Canberra in between to attend both functions. My wife has made a plum pudding for each meal. It will be eaten either cold or hot (a slice heated in the microwave) what ever suits each person. Brandy sauce will be available. The family favourite sweet for Christmas meals is freshly picked raspberries and cream.