The holidays Down Under usually arrive at the height of summer swelter, and so instead of chestnuts over an open fire, seasonal parties are customarily held around the backyard barbecue
or a well-stocked cooler down at the beach.
Of course, a white Christmas is out of the question. But other joyous traditions usually center around the Australian version of the Christmas tree - the native Christmas
Bush.
And on Christmas Day many families will happily gather for a ham or turkey dinner complete with Christmas pudding. As elsewhere, Australians are meanwhile shopping the popular holiday sales for everyone on their Christmas list.
Below, check out other reasons why Australia is so cool for the holidays with informaton on what's happening this year in Sydney and Canberra, with more on the iconic Christmas by Candlelight spectacular in Melbourne and by far the biggest holiday street extravaganza in Australia the Christmas pageant in Adelaide! ...
More information about Christmas in Australia around the Web:
A Sydney Christmas - Sydney's top
Christmas event with details on the tree lighting, entertainment, and a downloadable map detailing the best places to celebrate the spirit of Christmas.
Melbourne Christmas - Check out the tree lighting and other holiday happenings in Melbourne's City Square, the annual Christmas by Candlelight, and more with related resources.
Credit Union Christmas Pageant - Giant floats, marching bands, dancing groups and a thousand participants join in as Adelaide hosts one of the world's biggest holiday extravaganzas, with this year's schedule, related photos, history.