With Christmas just round the corner (again! how did that happen?) we started thinking about ways to celebrate the festive season: significant rituals or pastimes to observe, in company or alone. Here’s ten things we thought of, in no particular order:
Beach
For Northern Hemisphere migrants living in the Southern Hemisphere, it can take years to get used to the idea of a hot Christmas. Many northerners (including myself) grew up with images of Australian families in Santa hats enjoying the beach, something that, in the grip of snow and ice, could only be dreamed. Heading to the beach is a time-honoured Aussie Christmas tradition, just ask co-founder Paul, so if you’re lucky enough to live close to the coast, go for it. Just remember though, use plenty of sun protection!
Barbecue
Prawns, crayfish, veggies, steak…is there nothing an Aussie barbecue cannot deliver? Likewise the famous braai of the many South Africans and Zimbabweans who’ve adopted Australia as their home, or the asado and parilla of beloved of Latin Americans. As long as there’s a skilled enthusiast in your midst (and there’s always one!) it’s an excuse to sit back in the shade with a cool drink and have a yarn while the air grows fragrant with the chemistry of heat and deliciousness!
Banquet or light bite?
It could be a feast or a simple picnic. Turkey with all the trimmings, or a yummy crayfish sandwich. Four courses, elaborately planned and assembled over a couple of days, or something freshly caught from the river. It really doesn’t matter, because food is key to any celebration, and is about the nourishment of the soul as much as the body. Some folk love to observe family or cultural traditions, while others choose new ways to fit their routines and inclinations. Whatever your choice, Christmas gives an opportunity to savour.
Bush walk
At the cooler times of the 24-hour cycle, a Christmas bush walk is a magical way to get out into nature and maybe balance some of the excesses of the barbecue! Go early in the morning or under the stars at night. Breathe in the scents of the trees, tune into the sounds, pay your respects to the places around you, and become part of the magic of this ancient land.
Dawn swim or surf
A swim or surf in the ocean before the sun is fully up is a wonderful moment at any time of the year; but at least the temperatures are a little more welcoming around the Christmas period! The cleansing motion and minerals of saltwater are the perfect wake-me-up, and it’s good to be in the outdoors before harmful UV gets too strong. There’s a wonderful freedom to plunging into and under the waves. And there’s a sense of homecoming too: life evolved from the oceans, and our own bodies were cushioned by fluid until our mothers birthed us into air.
Secret Santa
If you’re going to be celebrating Christmas with a large crowd this is an easy and popular way of giving gifts without breaking the bank. You just need to organise people a little in advance to give them enough time to find something. Decide on a spending limit, anything from, say, $10 to $25. Write everyone’s name on individual slips of paper. Distribute at random among the group, so nobody knows whose name has been allocated to whom. You buy the present for the name you’ve been given. You can also do Secret Santa with only homemade or recycled items, or to a theme. It doesn’t have to involve a cost to your pocket or the planet.
Orphans’ Christmas
Many of us aren’t close to immediate or extended family by reasons of distance or circumstance. All hail the Orphans’ Christmas, where somebody opens their home—perhaps on Christmas Eve—for a get-together. All of the ‘orphans’ in their circle of friends brings food and drink, the Christmas carols are on in the background and everyone gets to celebrate. It's a great way of mixing in folk who might not otherwise get to meet.
Celebrating difference
Different cultures celebrate Christmas on different days. Some regard ‘Old Christmas’ on 6 January at the end of the Twelve Days as the appropriate moment to celebrate. Others might regard Christmas Eve, or the Feast of St Nicholas in early December as the occasion to exchange gifts. When you live in a multicultural neighbourhood, as just about all of us do, this could be an opportunity to discover Christmas through a different perspective.
Cricket
The glorious tradition of the Boxing Day Test takes place this year between Australia and India, at the MCG, and for fans of cricket, nothing more need be said. For the rest of us, another opportunity to be mystified by a sport which, with an estimated 2.5 billion fans worldwide, is the second most popular globally after soccer.
Volunteering
It’s a time of giving, and a time of giving back. It’s also a time to give time. So if this makes sense to you, there are all sorts of ways of volunteering over the Christmas period: helping with community meals, entertainment, gift-wrapping, deliveries, the list goes on. A good place to start is https://www.volunteer.com.au/ but also check out the notice boards at your local café or shops.
Don’t stop at ten: do Christmas as many ways as you like!
