Summary

Barb Dalton shares her experiences of Christmas festivities and decorations in Australia, contrasting them with traditional snowy celebrations and reflecting on the cultural differences in holiday observance.

Abstract

Barb Dalton, a New Zealander, captures the essence of an Australian Christmas through her vivid descriptions of festive decorations in Perth, Mandurah, and Sydney. She highlights the unique aspects of an antipodean holiday season, such as Santa with a cricket bat and the absence of snow. Dalton appreciates the vibrant street decorations and the blend of Australian culture into the Christmas spirit. Despite the novelty, she admits that the lack of snow makes it feel less like the Christmas she's become accustomed to after living in colder climates for many years. Nevertheless, she embraces the experience, enjoying the extended daylight hours and the opportunity to witness how another country celebrates the holidays.

Opinions

Barb Dalton finds the Australian approach to Christmas decorations, such as Santa wielding a cricket bat, to be quintessentially Australian and enjoyable.
She is intrigued by the street decorations in Perth and the lack of concern for snow damage due to the warm climate.
Dalton is impressed by the Christmas lights in Kings Park and the creative displays in various locations, including the nutcracker staircase near Wynyard station.
She notes that the festive atmosphere in Australia, while full of glitter and trimmings, lacks the snowy ambiance that contributes to the traditional Christmas feel.
Despite the cultural differences and the summer season, Dalton wishes everyone a merry Christmas, acknowledging that the spirit of the holiday can be felt regardless of the external environment.

EVERYTHING FUN| THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON

Christmas Down Under

Street decorations, Aussie style

The added bonus of being on the opposite side of the world at this time of the year is all the festive decorations. Although I’ll be back in the land of snow and long evenings by the time the 25th rolls around, it’s been lovely experiencing the anticipation of Christmas Down Under.

It’s not the first time I’ve been in another country prior to the silly season. It’s fun to see how other countries approach the holidays, often blending their traditions and culture into their decorative street embellishments.

Nothing is more Australian than Santa wielding a cricket bat, for example. I discovered this guy at one of the quiet outdoor malls in central Perth.

Many north Americans are baffled by this sport that can last for five days yet end in a draw and has fielding positions with weird names like ‘silly mid on’ and the ‘fine leg.’ As a born and bred New Zealander, it was exciting to watch some of the Australia versus South Africa test match on the tele. Oh, how I miss cricket!

Perth had some other beaut decorations. The ones dangling between buildings were stunning. I guess they don’t have to worry about them getting snowed on and deteriorating with the environmental elements given the mean temperature at this time of the year is + 30C.

We saw most of the night lights by car, and being my usually snap-happy self, I managed to catch a couple of good shots in passing. I’ve no idea what this building is in downtown Perth but the vibrant Ho Ho Ho light show on its exterior was eye-catching.

Kings Park overlooks the city. I was intrigued by its name, wondering if they’d performed a lightning-speed change after the death of Queen Elizabeth! But, no; it was named after Edward VII ascended to the throne in 1901.

We took a detour to view the lights from above and were not disappointed. I love the blurred, red-illuminated trees and was pretty impressed to catch this shot on the fly.

Shore-side in Mandurah, a small city about 80 kilometers south of Perth, there were several Christmas-themed creatures plopped around the canals, geared up for photo opportunities.

Back in Sydney, Central station had a couple of large fake trees in the main thoroughfare, one of which I now see is missing some balls. I guess someone climbed over that sturdy fence and nabbed a couple!

The famous Queen Victoria Building had a massive tree under its central dome even though it looked a bit odd with its stunted top. Either it was on purpose in an attempt to not hide the gorgeous stained glass window, or someone messed up…it really did look weird!

The nearby Strand Arcade also had lots of Christmas bling. Shoppers were out en masse, which was a far cry from Perth. Note the lovely stained glass windows and the beautifully tiled floor.

Outside Martin place, a giant tree with beach-ball-like decorations was a marvelous sight. Now just where is that tropical weather, though? It’s been decidedly cold in Sydney, to the point I had to get my sweater on and umbrella out.

Near one of the many entrances to Wynyard station, this nutcracker staircase was rather cool.

I had a chuckle when passing the window display in Myers, a large department store. Some grand advice I say!

Essentially, the only difference between Montréal and Australian decorations was the lack of snow and frigid temperatures. With longer daylight hours, they also have to stay up to see the pretty light nights!

Ironically, even though I grew up in New Zealand and never batted an eyelid at summer Christmas’, after 27 years of white ones, despite all the glitter and trimmings, it didn’t quite feel like Christmas.

Those white flakes really add to the festive atmosphere.

Wherever you are, and whatever the weather, I wish you all a safe and very merry Christmas.