# An Antipodeal Christmas **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 21, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974 "2010-12-21T17:22:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/21 "2010-12-23T00:45:12Z")
Oh dammit **tellyworth** , now we’re going to have to kill you. Disappointing, and right in the midst of the season for goodwill to all men too. ---
**Author:** ![snurp69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@snurp69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snurp69)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/22 "2010-12-23T01:20:26Z")
A quick google search brings up some Aussie Christmas Carols: [http://www.squidoo.com/aussiechristmascarols](http://www.squidoo.com/aussiechristmascarols) But you don’t hear them regularly, and I certainly don’t know the lyrics enough to sing them myself. And here’s a newspaper opinion piece on Aussie Carols: [http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/im-dreaming-of-a-hot-christmas-x2026-and-other-lost-carols-20101205-18l8g.html](http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/im-dreaming-of-a-hot-christmas-x2026-and-other-lost-carols-20101205-18l8g.html) ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/23 "2010-12-23T03:30:01Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Oh dammit **tellyworth** , now we’re going to have to kill you. > Disappointing, and right in the midst of the season for goodwill to all men too. Mmm..course, if you set the drop bears on him.. ---
**Author:** ![Grateful-UnDead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ccd318/32.png) [@Grateful-UnDead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grateful-UnDead)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/24 "2010-12-23T06:38:16Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > Australians will tell you all sorts of things, as a kind of deadpan joke. > > Six White Boomers is an old novelty song by Rolf Harris. The other one you describe probably exists too. But neither one is common, and they certainly don’t replace the well known Christmas songs in popular use. > > You’ll hear Frosty the Snowman and White Christmas just as often here as anywhere else. So, are you saying that the parade that they have on Christmas Day in which they march down the main street with their pet Kangaroos is not right? Also, why do they keep sharks in their swimming pools? And what is this “Festivus” thing? Apparently it has something to do with mud wrestling. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/25 "2010-12-23T07:02:58Z")
I was in K-Mart this morning (Melbourne, Australia) and they were playing “Walking in a winter wonderland” over the muzak system. The imagery here is much the same as in any “western” country; the “summer Santa” thing is seen but wintery images are far more common. I think most Australians get over the incongruity of it pretty early and just get on with the presents and celebrations part of it. People have different strategies for Xmas dinners, some go with the traditional roasts, some go with a more tropical version. Xmas in Tasmania is very different to Xmas in northern Queensland: it’s a greater distance than Florida to New York. Plenty of variation in both climate and local tradition. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/26 "2010-12-23T07:04:41Z")
A couple of traditions I’ve been involved in this year: Berry picking - decide on your fruit of choice and find a ‘pick-your-own’ farm. We’ve stuck to strawberries since **maggenkid** had an allergic reaction to something in the blueberries and spent Christmas looking like she’d been in a punch-up. The picnic carols - up at the local botanic gardens with a local brass band playing. The carols half over before it’s dark enough to light the candles. The idea seems to have gelled over the last few years into everyone bringing as much food as possible, just to lure the kids back to the rugs periodically. Summer picnic food, with the occasional fruit mince pie tossed in. We know the words to “A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree” better than the original and decorate with Pohutokawa blossoms. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/27 "2010-12-23T07:06:25Z")
Um. I made a typo: I meant of course to say that Australians spend Christmas on the beach, drinking roo juice and eating BBQ dropbear, listening to to Our Nicole play old standard Rolf Harris Christmas Carols on the didgeridoo. I don’t keep sharks in my swimming pool - it’s just that the damn things are impossible to get rid of. ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/28 "2010-12-23T10:55:11Z")
So this Aussie deadpan joking is a bit like when we South Africans tell foreigners that, “Yes, I rode an elephant to work today,” or, “Yes, there are lions walking the streets,” right? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/29 "2010-12-23T14:34:11Z")
> [@maggenpye](#): > > Berry picking - decide on your fruit of choice and find a ‘pick-your-own’ farm. Yep - it’s cherry season here, I have several kilos in the fridge awaiting their vodka or jamification, as the case may be. It’s definitely a tradition now (anything done \>3 years is) > [@](#): > > The picnic carols - up at the local botanic gardens with a local brass band playing. See my link above. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/30 "2010-12-23T14:46:12Z")
> [@ctnguy](#): > > So this Aussie deadpan joking is a bit like when we South Africans tell foreigners that, “Yes, I rode an elephant to work today,” or, “Yes, there are lions walking the streets,” right? Or when I tell you I know both Al Capone and Michael Jordan, of course I do! And we totally all carry big guns everywhere we go, because Chicago is nothing but a gang warzone, 24/7. ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/31 "2010-12-23T16:24:13Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > Um. I made a typo: I meant of course to say that Australians spend Christmas on the beach, drinking roo juice and eating BBQ dropbear, listening to to Our Nicole play old standard Rolf Harris Christmas Carols on the didgeridoo. > > I don’t keep sharks in my swimming pool - it’s just that the damn things are impossible to get rid of. Is “Our Nicole” known to the non-Australian world as Ms. Nicole Kidman, by any chance ? ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/32 "2010-12-23T22:29:42Z")
> [@ctnguy](#): > > In South Africa, at least, there is not generally air-conditioning in homes. NZ too, and while it doesn’t get as hot here as in Oz it can get ridiculously humid in Auckland. The last week has been switching between hot and humid, and pitching with rain. 🙂 Growing up I have memories of trad-style Christmas midday “dinners” of turkey and steamed fruit puddings in sweltering heat and humidity but over the years these have morphed into BBQs and light summer food… plus a slice of Christmas pudding. 🙂 > [@maggenpye](#): > > A couple of traditions I’ve been involved in this year: > Berry picking … The picnic carols …We know the words to “A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree” better than the original and decorate with Pohutokawa blossoms. Just to echo **maggenpye** : Strawberries with icing sugar, with ice-cream, as topping on Pavlova… and none in the supermarket when I was there at 10pm last night (in shorts and t-shirt; this mentioned for the benefit of our Northern Hemisphere brethren). 😃 Carols by Spiderlight. (That should tell some Kiwis where I live). 😃 (Heh, your mention of the Pukeko song reminds me of the old Fred Dagg variant of “[We Three Kings](http://folksong.org.nz/nzchristmas/one_on_a_tractor.html)”). I love Pohutukawa! Their blossoms are a major part of Christmas imagery for me – when my Dad was living in the Bay of Plenty we’d drive down around Christmas and there are long stretches of coastal road with huge mature Pohutukawas that over-hang the road. Just fabulous. > [@tellyworth](#): > > Um. I made a typo: I meant of course to say that Australians spend Christmas on the beach… One year, with no family engagements for Christmas day, my wife and I decided to go scuba diving at a local-ish marine reserve. We were interested to see so many people having beach picnics and how many of them were Asian (as many new New Zealanders are)… it reminded us how many Kiwis of European descent were probably inside in hot rooms eating turkey. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Grateful-UnDead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ccd318/32.png) [@Grateful-UnDead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grateful-UnDead)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/33 "2010-12-23T23:28:36Z")
While serving in Vietnam, we often went on operations with the Australians. For some unknown reason, the Australians decided that we were/are all retarded. So, when we asked them about Australia, they would tell us the most outrageous stories; and tell them with completely straight faces. We pretended to believe them; and put on our most “dumb hick” expressions to encourage them. The more outrageous the stories, the more enthusiastically we responded to them. We did this for two reasons: first, their stories were a never ending source of entertainment; and second, we wanted to see how far they would go. By the end or my second tour, the stories were still coming and were still pretty entertaining. So the Australians were handed over to our relief, and the tradition continued. Even today, when I speak to my Australian friends, they manage to slip in a story or two. I haven’t the heart to ask them if they have yet figured out that we were playing with them. The Australian explanation of why New Zealanders like rubber boots is a pretty good one… Maybe next year. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/34 "2010-12-23T23:43:55Z")
> [@williambaskerville](#): > > Is “Our Nicole” known to the non-Australian world as Ms. Nicole Kidman, by any chance ? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/35 "2010-12-23T23:46:53Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > Strawberries with icing sugar, with ice-cream, as topping on Pavlova… and none in the supermarket when I was there at 10pm last night (in shorts and t-shirt; this mentioned for the benefit of our Northern Hemisphere brethren). 😃 > > Carols by Spiderlight. (That should tell some Kiwis where I live). 😃 > (Heh, your mention of the Pukeko song reminds me of the old Fred Dagg variant of “[We Three Kings](http://folksong.org.nz/nzchristmas/one_on_a_tractor.html)”). I haven’t done an Auckland xmas for ten years, but I remember the humidity. In the Bay, my first year down here, we had 35C and I got a bike I had to ride home (11km). At least it was a dry heat - doing that in Akkers would have killed me. Spiderlight, ooh you Westie! And yes, One on a tractor, Two in a car. **MrDibble** , that looks much the same, but I couldn’t spot so many massive chilly bins as I’m used to. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/36 "2010-12-24T10:03:08Z")
Not a real antipodeal answer, but… my Aunt, who lives in Hawaii, where it is tropical during Christmas despite being in the Northern hemisphere, celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas by renting a cabin in the highest altitude part of Kauai where there exist evergreens, for the ambiance. Of course, she was brought up in a colder climate. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/37 "2010-12-24T15:33:43Z")
I spent one Christmas season in the Seychelles and the supermarkets were playing all the normal carols even though it was 27°C outside and quite a few locals had never even seen snow. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/38 "2010-12-25T05:12:06Z")
It’s 28 here and we’ve just had a rather long, pleasant Christmas day lunch, alternating courses with dips in the pool. ---
**Author:** ![DHMO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@DHMO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DHMO)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/39 "2010-12-25T07:37:24Z")
“Christmas”, as a catch-all peace-on-Earth-goodwill-toward-man holiday could be, and should be, celebrated all year round. The mid-winter aspects of the holiday were borrowed from various pagan solstice observances, including the Roman “Saturnalia” during the formative years of the Roman Catholic Church. The religious parts of the holiday, i.e., those referring to the birth of Jesus, the Christ, find no support in the scriptures or in history, and many verses regularly trotted out at Christmastime, those in the New Testament quoted in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” for example, directly contraindicate a mid-winter time for His birth. > [@](#): > > **Luke 2 (King James Version)** > > **Luke 2** > > **1** And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. > **2** (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) > **3** And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. > **4** And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) > **5** To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. > **6** And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. > **7** And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. > **8** And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. > **9** And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. > **10** And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. > **11** For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. > **12** And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. > **13** And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, > **14** Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. > **15** And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. > **16** And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. > **17** And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. > **18** And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. > **19** But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. > **20** And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. [Luke,](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2&version=KJV) Chapter 2, KJV. First, what emperor would decree that all the people in his dominion should travel, in the dead of winter, to the birthplace of their ancestors for a census? Most of the Roman Empire in those days being in Europe, which is barely passable today in late December. Second, at the latitude of Judea in the area of modern-day Isreal, the “shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” would most likely be sitting in two feet of snow, and the flock would either starve or freeze to death. Adding to the improbable mid-winter date for the birth of the Messiah, while, in the Christian tradition, there are literally hundreds of Old Testament prophesies concerning His birth, NONE detail the day, or even the season. Contrast and compare with prophesies of His death and resurrection, where some maintain there are thousands of prophetic verses, and the “Last Supper” was in fact a Passover Seder, which occurs on a specific date explicitly tied to the Hebrew calendar. While there is a wealth of winter symbolism tied to the Christmas holiday, it stems from the Western European background of the cultures which spawned what is, today, considered a “Traditional Christmas.” If those in the southern hemisphere do not have the climate we usually associate with Christmas, it should have no impact on the merriment and joviality we also ascribe to the holiday. “Love thy fellowman (and woman)” should transcend any season, and be a continuous observance, regardless of the presence or lack of snow, sleigh-rides or reindeer. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974/40 "2010-12-25T19:29:53Z")
And it’s a mid-year festival, winter or summer, depending on the hemisphere. Back to the OP. Merry Christmas and all that. Fresh fruit salad for breakfast, served with cream. Champagne and orange juice for the adults, soda for the youngsters. It’s our \*family \*tradition that breakfast is at my place and then mum and I cook lunch to be eaten at either their house or for a picnic. Presents are opened during breakfast. Everyone gets some chocolates, even if it’s just a token pack, \*everyone \*gets chocolate. This is offered round and keeps the energy levels up while we visit local friends and relatives who won’t be joining us for the main meal. Yesterday we noticed that when my folks came over, the roads had been virtually empty, by ten there were many many people shifting venues. Lunch is mostly cold food. Ham and chicken for us with three salads and roast veges to choose from. Roast veges because they’re easy and while the oven heated the house, we’d be sipping fruit punch in the garden. Phone calls to out of town relatives and friends - partly replaced by facebook and email this year. A nap for the adults while the kids play, traditional in the sense of having been done every year whether we intended to or not. Dessert instead of dinner. Hugs and kisses and allotment of the leftovers. Everyone back to their respective homes to collapse and watch telly. I love Christmas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-antipodeal-christmas/564974.md?page=1)