X is for Australian Christmas

 

holiday flags on sydney beach

Yes, Virginia, it is different here! But some things are the same and that is even stranger. 

Above, Manly Beach was decorated for the season. They also put up Christmas trees:

large decorated tree in sydney

House decorations are a bit more sporadic. Light shows are not common; maybe because daylight lasts extra hours and it doesn't get dark as early?  

wooden tree with lights on side of house

Santa often wears a fur suit and heavy boots, but sometimes he is a surfer dude.  He does get accompanied by reindeer and snowmen.

upside down santa in bush

santa with surfboard

Often, I just saw the garlands and wreaths. This house was heavily decorated for Goolwa!

house decorated with garlands

Amazingly, the rest stops tended to be decorated. This one was beside the highway; not near any town.

rest stop bathrooms decorated with red ribbon

small christmas trees in park area of rest stop

It even had a manger scene- baby Jesus was a bit dusty ...

manger scene with dirty doll in manger

For Christmas dinner, we had sushi and shrimp, followed by both turkey and ham (with dressing and gravy, too). We pulled poppers, wore paper hats and drank virgin mojitos. Scott and I did no cooking or beverage making; we just got to sit and eat. Scott's parents also got to relax! His sister and her partner did all the heavy lifting. 

3 people with paper hats at a table midday
While some folks were out kayaking or swimming, we took Miss Betty with her load of storage unit boxes and went back to our house to unload more goodies, water our fruit trees and do some major grout cleaning. Still all good. 

Because it is the season, including a mistletoe bird!
blue and red bird with mistletoe berry in beak

Unfortunately, not all was peaceful. Hatred extends across the oceans. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Australian Jewish community impacted by the mass shooting at Bondi Beach as well as those persecuted in all corners of the world.

hanukkah menorah (wikipedia)



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