The traditional idea of Christmas is that of a cold, snowy day in which families get together around a fireplace, but, although Christmas is celebrated all over the world, not everywhere is it winter at this time of year. While in most countries in the north it's freezing cold, in the southern hemisphere it's summer, and instead of warming up near the fire, people are getting a tan under the sun.
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Christmas Day on Bondi Beach, Australia
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One of these countries in which people bask in the sun at Christmas is Australia, or Down Under, as it is widely known. Due to the weather, their Christmas is a bit different from that of northern countries, but not that different, as they still have Santa, Christmas trees and stockings. However, you will much more easily see Santa on a surf board rather than a sleigh!
Let's have a look at this presentation to see how similar or different Christmas in Australia is.
In the following video, Brian Sutton sings about a typical Christmas Day in Australia. But before watching it, let's see the meaning of a few words you may not know, as they are Australian slang words:
- Billabong: a water hole in a dried up river.
- Coolabah: a eucalyptus tree and a brand of wine.
- Esky: a cooler, a portable, insulated container for keeping food and drinks cold. It's a shortened version of the trade name "Eskimo Box".
- Barbie: barbecue (or BBQ).
- Aussie: Australian.
- Stubbie: a small short necked bottle of beer.
Can you answer a few questions on Christmas Down Under now?
Whether in Australia or anywhere else in the world, I wish you a very happy Christmas!
