Snow, carols and a plump turkey dinner are a part of Christmas tradition in Canada, but in Australia, the sun is shining and the beaches are crowded.
It is the middle of summer on Dec. 25 in Ballina, Australia, where Rossland News reporter Alicia Wallace grew up.
To Wallace, Christmas means firing up the grill and going for a swim.
“It is quite common to camp at the beach,” she said. “Then we would go swimming before we have a BBQ breakfast and play cricket on the beach.”
For lunch, the main Christmas meal, seafood and salads were on the menu.
“We would have a ham with seafood,” she said. “There would be prawns with a special pate sauce and lemons with an assortment of salads.”
Christmas dinner means a change of location, but the same fare.
“We have two sides of the family – my mom’s and my dad’s,” said Wallace. “We would go to one for lunch and one for dinner. We would eat our main meal then have leftovers for dinner.”
It is 40 C during an Australian summer, so heating up the oven for a turkey is out of the question. And since you can’t find snowmen or sleigh rides in her hometown, a lot of Christmas carols don’t fit.
“Singing carols isn’t a big thing,” shared Wallace, adding that she is definitely looking forward to seeing some snow this Christmas. “Some people do, but a lot of people tend to think it is a bit corny.”
She has celebrated the holidays in England, France and Australia, and this year, in Rossland.