Life Images by Jill: Christmas traditions

Showing posts with label Christmas traditions. Show all posts

Saturday, 20 December 2025

Christmas spreads its light around the world

Hi everyone. I hope you and your family are doing well.

In these days of tragedy around the world that we hear and see nightly on the news (or indeed experience them) - whether it be political unrest, cultural or religious persecution, violence within communities, or natural disasters - it can be overwhelming. This was brought home recently with the outpouring a grief following the tragic shootings at Bondi Beach in Australia during a Hanukkah celebration.

So I believe it is cultural traditions, like Christmas, which we must hang on to, to spread some light around the world. Bringing family and friends together, and to find peace and spread love in our troubled times, whatever culture you come from or beliefs you have. We all have rights and share this planet Earth.

But around Christmas we seem to get hooked up in the hype and tied up in the decorations, the gift giving, and the food. When Christmas really is a time for remembrance of the Christmas story, and a time for family and friends to come together.

I saw this the other day - and really liked the sentiment.

Christmas in Australia is in mid-summer and the temperatures can be in the high 30s C. I was reminded the other day of Christmas when I was a child. We lived in a weatherboard and asbestos fibro house in Perth, Western Australia - no insulation, no air conditioning, no fans. And my mother would be cooking a roast dinner and Christmas pudding in the "Metters" wood burning stove. The kitchen, which is also where we ate, was baking hot.

No wonder I would later retreat to the cold lino of the passage way floor, which seemed to me to be the coolest place in the house, to read my latest book.

The Metters stove looked a bit like this. I could never work out how Father Christmas could possibly come down this chimney.

I think a hot Christmas dinner was common place in homes in Australia at that time, where the families were descendant from European stock - and so the Christmas traditions came with them to Australia - despite the fact it could be several generations later, and that it was summer here in Australia at Christmas and not really suited to a hot dinner, unlike the northern hemisphere.

Cold meat and salad in those days would not have been acceptable. Times have changed and today families in Australia are more likely to have a cold meat (probably ham) and salad lunch, with perhaps prawns, and followed by a Pavolva for dessert instead of a Christmas pudding (I do love Pavlova). A fruit punch drink, Christmas cake, fruit mince pies, and sausage rolls are also favourites.

Below are some Christmas goodies I have made in the past. My little Christmas puddings are a favourite in our household. I was asked about the recipe so I'll post it further down. I haven't made these stars in a while - I must do this year. If you are wondering about the cake, that is a stained glass fruit cake - full of fruit and nuts, and expensive to make- this is the only time of year I make it. You only need a thin slice. It's delicious.

I believe family and cultural traditions are important. I found this link on the net that gives you links to Christmas traditions from different cultures around the world. It's fascinating reading. Christmas around the world

Do you put up a Christmas tree? Did you know that the first officially recorded Christmas tree was in the 1400s in Estonia and Latvia. It is thought that Christmas trees first came to the UK when Queen Charlotte, the German wife of Britain's King George III, first decorated a Yew branch in Kew Palace or Windsor Castle in the 1790s. You can find out more on the link.

Christmas Trees became very popular throughout the UK from the mid 1840s, when a drawing of the Queen Victoria, her German Husband Prince Albert and their young children around a Christmas tree was published in the Illustrated London News. (note the candles on the branches)

Benjamin Harrison was the first President of the USA to be documented having a Christmas tree in the White House in 1889, though it is thought other former Presidents also had them.

I heard something the other day that candles were used on the trees before the invention of electric Christmas lights in the late 1800s. Sounds rather dangerous! Christmas Tree decorations

There are lots of games and activities to keep children amused over the Christmas time, and of course lots of Christmas movies!

When I was a child we made paper Christmas decorations like chains and lanterns. In the early days of Australia, people would use decorations from nature around their house. Here is a door wreath I made from twisted grape vine branches and bush-land nuts... sprayed with gold paint and with a few ribbons thrown in.

Here in Western Australia we have the Western Australian Christmas Tree -Nuytsia floribunda - that flowers October to January. I have blogged about it before (please click on the link). Growing up to 10 metres tall, this tree is actually the world's tallest parasitic tree. It occurs naturally only in the south west of Western Australia. Named moojar or Kaanya Tree (kaanya, meaning recently departed soul) by the indigenous Noongar people, it has a powerful spiritual significance for the Noongar culture, who believed the spirits of ancestors rested in the branches.

As promised below is the recipe for the Mini Christmas Puddings. Honestly this recipe is so easy and so yummy!

All you need is 1 x 700-800gm fruit cake (any plain wrap supermarket brand is fine), 180gm dark chocolate - or use a mixture of light and dark chocolate, 1/4 cup brandy (or substitute with orange juice), white chocolate bits and glace cherries to decorate (or you could use jelly fruit lollies).

Crumble the cake, melt the chocolate, and mix with the cake, and add the brandy. Mix well and then form into balls with your hands. Place on a tray. Melt white chocolate bits and drizzle over the puddings. Use glace cherries cut to shape to look like cherries and leaves to decorate.
Tip - only pour white chocolate over a few at a time as it will set very quickly and you need to stick on the glace cherries before the chocolate sets. Store in the fridge.

Try not to eat them all before Christmas day!

Christmas summer is a bit like this for us Down Under (made for Air New Zealand, but same in Australia!)

I am leaving you with a Christmas thought -

Sunday, 22 December 2024

Celebrating Christmas in Australia

Hi dear blogging friends, and welcome to my Christmas edition.

I was wandering around blogland wondering what to do for my Christmas post and I came across this site - Why Christmas.com I found it to be a really interesting site explaining the traditions and customs of Christmas, and how different cultures celebrate Christmas around the world. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, but for those you do, or for those who are interested to know more, I suggest you take a look. When you go to the site, just click on the links to learn more.

So for my post today, I've taken a little from the site (though I've made quite a few changes) about how Christmas is celebrated in Australia.

In Australia, Christmas comes towards the beginning of the school summer holidays - which run from mid December to the first week in February, so many people plan this time for their summer getaway holidays. Because it is hot (usually around the mid to high 30sC or low 40sC) many people head to the beach on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, or laze around the pool (if they lucky to have one!).

I think this Christmas song from You Tube (Strolling Through a Summer Wonderland) sung by Ronan Keating (even though it was recorded for Air New Zealand) sums it up - New Zealand is only just across the ditch from us after all!

In 2021 is was so hot on Christmas Day (around 43C) that our grandson cooked a fried egg in a pan on the driveway.

Some people hang wreaths on their front doors and decorate their houses and gardens with Christmas lights. People drive around in the evenings to look at the light displays. Some people must spend days/weeks putting up their Christmas lights. Sometimes the displays are set up as early as December 1st. We took a drive around on Saturday night in our area. Some of the displays were truly amazing.

The shopping centres, hotels, and city streets, etc also put up Christmas displays.

In each State capital city there are Carols by Candlelight concerts. Famous Australian singers help to sing the carols and those who attend are encouraged to join in the singing. These concerts are broadcast on TV across Australia. There are also Christmas pageants and street parades in capital cities, that are also broadcast across the country. Most towns and cities have festivals and parades.

You can see a short video of some of Carols in the Domain in Sydney, Australia, in 2023 here from YouTube-

Many towns, cities and schools also hold their own Carols by Candlelight concerts, with local bands and choirs helping to perform the Christmas Carols and songs. In the past we held candles to read the words in the song book, whilst today it will probably be a battery operated candle.

As it is the middle of summer in Australia at Christmas time, the words to carols about snow and the cold winter are sometimes changed to alternate Australian words. There are also some original Australian Carols.

A couple of years ago I brought you a few Australian Christmas carols including two versions of The 12 days of Aussie Christmas - one showcasing our unique Australian animals.

There are some beautiful Australian trees flowering around Christmas. Below are the candlestick banksia (they remind me of giant Christmas candles) blue/purple jacaranda (beautiful - but not an Australian native), the yellow/orange Western Australian Christmas tree, and the red flowering gum. So vibrant.

When he reaches Australia, it is said that Father Christmas sometimes gives the reindeers a rest and might use kangaroos. He also changes his clothes for less 'hot' ones! Children often leave out carrots for Santa's reindeer. They might leave out milk and cookies or cake for Santa, with some cold beer - but should be non-alcoholic because Santa has to drive his sleigh!

There is a popular Christmas song about Santa using six white kangaroos, called "boomers" to deliver presents to children in Australia. The song explains that Santa's reindeer can't handle the Australian heat, so the kangaroos take over pulling his sleigh.

Six white boomers, snow white boomers,

Racing Santa Claus through the blazing sun.

Six white boomers, snow white boomers,
On his Australian run.

Most families try to be home together for Christmas and the main meal is normally eaten at lunch time. Although many people still have the traditional roast English Christmas lunch (turkey, pork or ham and roast vegetables), in more recent times a cold Christmas dinner or a barbecue with seafood such as prawns and lobsters is popular. Some people like to have 'traditional' English Christmas Pudding but there may also be cold desserts like pavlova and trifle. An ice-cold 'punch' drink is also popular.

I always make sausage rolls and these little Christmas puddings you can see below here top left. I have shared the recipe here - Christmas baking when it's baking hot

After lunch on Christmas Day we often flop in front of the TV to watch a movie - especially if someone has been given a new DVD for Christmas, or collapse on the lounge with a book, or play a board game. Or for those with enough energy - a game of back yard cricket.

Dinner Christmas evening for us will usually be a casual affair of leftovers - a ham sandwich maybe and a bowl of icecream.

On Boxing Day many people visit friends for a barbeque. And there is often a new release movie at the cinemas - a good way to keep cool on Boxing Day in the cinema. People very often travel on Boxing Day to start their summer holidays.

A famous Yacht race - the Sydney to Hobart - from Sydney in New South Wales to Hobart in Tasmania is held on Boxing Day. Another Boxing Day tradition is the Boxing Day Cricket Test Match. It starts every year on Boxing Day and is held at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) in Victoria.

On Christmas Day we need to remember the service people in our community who continue to work for us - like hospital workers, doctors, nurses, ambulance officers, community service personnel, police, firefighters (bush fires in Australia are common this time of year), and the Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service who are on hand if someone in remote Australia needs help. Thankyou to all those people.

This year is the 50th year anniversary of the Christmas Day cyclone that hit Darwin in the Northern Territory in the early hours of Christmas morning 1974 - Cyclone Tracy - when Santa didn't make it into Darwin. It devastated 80% of the city, and 66 people were killed. More than 36,000 people were evacuated from the city. Singers Bill and Boyd wrote a song about it -

Santa never made it into Darwin

Disaster struck at dawn on Christmas day

Santa never made it into Darwin

A big wind came and blew the town away

You can hear the song and see vision from the aftermath of the cyclone here on YouTube -

A bushfire came scaringly close to our house on 21 December 2021 - and I was so grateful to the firefighters who brought that bush fire under control. We had never been in that situation before.

And for those who are missing someone from their table for the first time this year a very special song on YouTube from Anya - Spirit of Christmas Past.

Here are some of my previous Christmas posts you may enjoy

A Christmas wish for you - and the Ghosts of Christmas Past - 2023

The 12 Days of Aussie Christmas - 2022

Christmas in Australia - 2021

Christmas waves a magic wand over the world - more about Christmas in Australia 2021

The Christmas in Australia edition - 2020

Christmas baking when it is baking hot in Australia -2013

I wish you all a blessed festive season spent with those you love. And for all a prayer for peace and safety around the world in these troubled times.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. How do you celebrate Christmas? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in your comment. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday @ Soul & Mind & So On

Saturdays Critters - Viewing Nature With Eileen

Travel Tuesday

Talking About It Tuesdays @ Slices of Life

ThroughMy Lens
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.
and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday
Welcome to Nature Thursday

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

Until then, enjoy your day... it won't be back.

Saturday, 17 December 2016

Christmas is a time for family and sharing

Christmas is nearly here again. This time of year I think a lot about those who are missing from my family Christmas table. My husband and I have lost both our sets of parents over the last few years. In December of 2014, a couple of months after my father passed away, I wrote a poem "The Ghosts of Christmas Past". It was printed in my writer's group anthology, The Runaway Quill, which was published this year (you can see a pic of it in the sidebar). Recently I heard from one of our members that a friend of his who is a church minister in Adelaide in South Australia will be reading it during his Christmas services. This has made me feel extremely happy and humble at the same time. I know at the time I wrote it my writer's group said that many people would be able to relate to my poem. I have decided to share it with you here, as I know that we all have someone missing from our table at this special time when families come together.

This is my Christmas gift to you, my dear readers. I have very much appreciated your support throughout the year, and I wish you all very happy Christmas spent with those you love.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past

Jill Harrison

Christmas only comes but once a year

It brings with it joys and tears

As I go through the motions of gift buying, decorations

And planning menus

I am thinking of those who will be missing from my table for the first time this year

They are the ghosts of Christmas past.

My father hanging Christmas lights in the pine trees at our front gate

The carol singers under our corner street light.

I lay in bed wondering how Father Christmas could possibly come down

our kitchen chimney and through the little doors at the front of our Metters Stove.

But he did – because the carrots and cake were gone in the morning.

The excitement of seeing my new big doll Lucy under the Christmas tree.

My mother dishing up the Christmas pudding with the threepences hidden inside

Her Christmas carols that filled the house.

The long Christmas table at my Aunts

With aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents

And silly hats.

Summer heat and laughter,

Playing under the sprinkler on the back lawn,

And laying on the cool passage lino with a new book.

The simple pleasure of humid summer evenings on the back lawn

looking up at the stars.

As I hang the special Christmas baubles on my tree

And light the candle of remembrance

I look into the eyes of my grandchildren

And I see the ghosts of Christmas past.

And some photos from Christmas past - With my Mum and older sister at a summer holiday cottage at Safety Bay 1958, with my Dad going to church, with my sister and my big doll Lucy, and with my sister at a summer holiday cottage at Palm Beach in 1962. We had shirred front bathers - did you?

I think my Dad was the first in our area to hang Christmas lights in our garden. We had two huge pine trees at our front gate where he used to hang them. We lived on a corner, and had a street light, and I remember the Salvation Army coming along on Christmas eve and singing Christmas carols under the light. I have such special memories from those childhood Christmases.

And some beautiful music from Enya - The Spirit of Christmas Past.

In Australia we don't have a white Christmas as it is the middle of summer, but we do have a native Christmas tree which is absolutely brilliant this time of year.

Below is the Australian Christmas Tree - Nuytsia floribunda - which was named the native Christmas tree by early Australian colonists because it bursts out in orange blooms in December.

The nuytsia tree is the world's largest variety of mistletoe. They are hemiparasitic plants, and grow by attaching themselves to host plants and draw water and nutrition from the host. ABC net - Australian mistletoe

Have you done your Christmas baking? I must start this weekend. Here is a simple recipe to spread some Christmas cheer. In the Australian summer we often hope for a cooler day on Christmas Day, although many people go to the beach in the afternoon or on Boxing Day. I have memories of my Mum and Aunt cooking a traditional baked Christmas dinner (we blame our old English heritage for this) in a wood stove while it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in our kitchen.

Whilst I still cook a baked Christmas lunch, it is nice to have some simple Christmas recipes that don't require cooking, like this one - Mini Christmas Puddings.

Honestly this recipe is so easy and so yummy!

All you need is:
1x800gm fruit cake (any plain wrap supermarket brand is fine), 180gm dark chocolate - or use a mixture of light and dark chocolate, 1/4 cup brandy (or substitute with orange juice), white chocolate melts and red and green glace cherries to decorate (or you could use jelly fruit lollies).

Crumble the cake in a large bowl, melt the chocolate, and mix with the cake, and add the brandy. Mix well and then form into balls with your hands. Place on a tray. Melt white chocolate bits and drizzle over the puddings. Use glace cherries cut to shape to decorate.

Tip - only pour white chocolate over a few at a time as it will set very quickly and you need to stick on the glace cherries before the chocolate sets. Store in the fridge. Enjoy!

Do you have a special Christmas memory or recipe? Perhaps you would like to share in the comments. Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return.

Have a wonderful week. I wish you and yours a joyous and peaceful Christmas, spent with those you care about. For those of my readers who don't celebrate Christmas I wish you peace and happiness.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
Life Thru the Lens

Our World Tuesday
Through My Lens
Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday
The Lovin' Life Team over at Lifestyle Fifty
The Weekly Postcard
Sky Watch Friday

ps - I have finally succumbed and I'm now on Instagram - please click on the link if you'd like to take a look - Life Images by Jill on Instagram

You might also like -

Christmas baking while it's baking hot in Australia
The Ghosts of Christmas Past - 2014
A little bit of Christmas baking

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Saturday, 20 December 2025

Christmas spreads its light around the world

Sunday, 22 December 2024

Celebrating Christmas in Australia

Saturday, 17 December 2016

Christmas is a time for family and sharing

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Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome!

Saturday, 20 December 2025

Christmas spreads its light around the world

Sunday, 22 December 2024

Celebrating Christmas in Australia

Saturday, 17 December 2016

Christmas is a time for family and sharing

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Blog Chicks

Digital Photography School

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