Australian Christmas  

                      
Last year we wrote about having a French Christmas….

But what do we Aussies do?

We are about to tell you!

Whilst the northern hemisphere is shivering under blankets of snow, we will be wiping the sweat from our brows back here in Oz as we prepare our meals.  Australian mothers have spent their entire lives bent over raging hot ovens preparing the ‘white winter’ banquet in temperatures of over 40 degrees.
 

These days many Australians head out to parks or beaches for picnics.  It’s so hot and sunny you see!!  We're not bragging, truly! 

But for us, Gigi and Lana, we like to stay at home and this is how we do Christmas.

Do you buy Christmas trees?

Gigi:  When the kids were living at home we opted for a fresh Christmas tree.  The summer heat is so intense that ours started sagging the minute we put it in the car and it was downhill from thereon.  By Christmas it was a brown brittle relic of a tree under a swag of drooping Christmas baubles. But it was soooo festive.

We have recently opted for the fake tree.  Whilst it remains green, I feel a tad sad that we have been deprived of that gorgeous pine needle aroma!!!

Lana: We have tried the real tree thing and it was such hard work so we now have a beautiful, realistic looking white tree (ha ha)! We bought it specifically to fit in with the decor as Mr J must have everything matching. The baubles match the furnishings of course and the decorations must be placed evenly throughout the tree. Do you think that’s a bit anal?

We do have a Santa train that continuously chugs around the tree waiting for our excited grandchildren to derail it.

Do you decorate the house?

Gigi:  Decorations are always fun.  When the kids were small we would spend countless hours creating colourful and decorative cardboard shapes.  I will never forget the long paper chains that would hang down low from the ceiling. 

These days I opt for the 'less is more' Christmas appearance.  The wreath on the door, the strategically placed angel, the small silver table Christmas trees, a few flashing lights and so on.   It makes cleaning up after Christmas a whole lot easier!

Lana: I love all the trimmings including the tinsel, trinkets and flashing Christmas lights. I say that I decorate the house for the pleasure of our grandchildren but secretly, I get a kick out of living in a house that looks like fairyland, even if it's just temporary.

I also play Bing Crosby’s “White Xmas” as often as I can until someone tells me that they have had enough and to turn it OFF.

Gigi:  Do you have Bing Crosby’s White Christmas too, Lana.  What a hoot!  I was brought up on his Christmas crooning. 

What do you put on the table?

Gigi:  I like the look of layered table clothes of different colours topped by a Christmas table runner.  Recently I have been running a red and gold theme.  Years ago I bought white serviettes with an embroidered reindeer with human body, dressed in Christmas gear of course.  I adore them. 

Candles are used but if it is really hot, they don’t make the table as anything radiating heat is banned.  We have never had the luxury of reverse cycle airconditioning!!! Colourful bowls of red cherries, lollies and fancy nuts are always dotted around.  If I can weave in tinsel and holly, all the better.

Lana: Looks like we both like to "dress" the table Gigi. I love using crisp tablecloths with a Xmas theme and starched serviettes to match with name tags attached.

Christmas candles are a must! I have red ones housed in a massive candelabra laden with tinsel and holly and I use enough candles to light up a small city.

I have green coloured wine glasses that only come out at Xmas to accompany my red and green crockery. But the "must have" decoration is the – bon bons. I buy the most expensive ones that I can afford as I love each one to contain a paper hat, a trinket and a corny Xmas joke. The opening of bon bons between two people is where the fun begins!

Gigi:  How could I forget about the bon bons Lana!  Yes, we never miss buying these amazing paper twists.  They ensure at least half and hours entertainment as we read out our jokes and struggle into our paper hats!

How do you give out the presents?

Gigi:  Presents are placed around the tree, and before lunch the Christmas presents are handed around and systematically opened. It’s all about the opening and the gift giving.   A tip though, if you drink enough champagne before opening you won’t care what you receive from old Auntie Margaret?

This year our kids are receiving gift vouchers, sorry kids!  I have never done this before and I feel rather mean because it seems rather thoughtless to me.  But they will probably be absolutely delighted with their gifts for once!  At least they won’t need to numb themselves with champers before the opening!!!

Buying something for Miss Charli will be the ultimate challenge though.  This small princess possesses everything a little girl could want.  I definitely have to think outside the square for her gift, but she probably has one of those as well!!!!

Lana: Santa always arrives just after lunch to distribute the gifts, his timing is always impecable! Each year, we choose a different “Santa’s Helper”, as it is such a privileged and sought after role.

I always have Xmas stockings for my kids filled with junky toys (even though they are now in their 30s)... it’s a traditional thing.

Like Gigi, every year I find that gift buying just gets more and more difficult.

What do you eat? 

Gigi:  We have always had the big traditional full blown ‘winter Christmas lunch”.  The turkey is cooked outside in the BBQ.  The smell is intoxicating and it means Mr G gets to help!  Veggies are baked, beans, peas and cauliflower with white sauce topped up with slices of cold ham. Jugs of gravy and condiments are squeezed in between the table decorations. 

Dessert is the ‘family’ Christmas pudding (the recipe handed down through the ages) with lashings of whipped cream, brandy custard and brandy butter followed by fruit tarts if anyone has room.    

One year we decided to do seafood.  This is a common option here because we Aussies love our seafood and it seems to go better with hot weather.   Instead of hot veges, it a table full of exotic salads followed by a cold summer pudding.

The seafood cost a fortune and everyone felt it just wasn’t the same.  Whilst we like eating fish, nothing beats the hot turkey, ham and plum pudding for a traditional Christmas dinner. 

We love our big hot roast and boiling hot pudding so much, even if cooking in Oz in like cooking in a sauna.  Therefore we also have the added bonus in the form of weight loss! Arrrrh, bring on another gin and tonic!!!

Lana: Like Gigi, my family loves the traditional Xmas fare and I always tend to over-cater.

Before we take on the epic feast, we have a candle lighting ceremony where each of us lights a candle in memory of our chosen loved ones who have passed on.

We then tuck into a giant sized turkey, pork with crackling, and a deliciously basted leg of ham. Our plates overflow with hot baked vegetables, condiments such as cranberres, apple sauce, and mustard, and we have lashings of rich gravy with a huge damper to soak up the flavours. 

Dessert is worth waiting for as we light up the plum pudding with a little alcohol and then smother it with thick brandy custard. For the family members who don’t eat pudding (weird isn’t it), we have sherry trifle (no sherry for the children they have their trifle alcohol free).

We sit at the dining table for ages as no-one can move...we feel more stuffed than the poor turkey!

What happens next?

    

Gigi: Once the meal is consumed (this takes hours) a general tidy up occurs – it has taken a quite a few years but Mr G is a dab hand at this.  Those that have night time commitments drag their over fed bodies to consume more food elsewhere.  The rest of us take a leisurely stroll down to the bay and soak up the sea breeze. Bliss. 

And as the sun sets we say goodbye to another wonderful Christmas Day.

Lana: Once we are able to move, we waddle to the kitchen for the cleanup. We then have a glass of egg-nog, sing a few off key Xmas carols around the piano (Mr J is the pianist) and then we play a couple of Xmas party games until it’s time for the family to move on to their next commitment.

As soon as the family leave, Mr J and I collapse on the lounge.

Another Xmas lunch over and we feel like we are at least 5 kilos heavier.

This year we will be joining forces at our children's home.  Gigi's son and Lana's daughter will be hosting their first Christmas celebration with Miss Charli the star attraction.  We are looking forward to it enormously and we'll have lots of Christmas photos to share with you. 

We wish you all a Happy and Healthy Christmas and don't forget to share your day with us by sending in photos.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE 
        & PEACE ON EARTH