Brazil (Boas Festas!):
Presépios (Nativity scenes) were introduced to Brazil in the 17th century in the city of Olinda, and they are proudly displayed in the northeast. This time of year the folk play Los Pastores (The Shepherds) is a big draw; the plot involves a gypsy trying to kidnap the Christ child. According to legend, Papai Noel (Father Noel) lives in Greenland, and when he visits Brazil to deliver gifts, he wears silk clothing to beat the heat; after all, the equator crosses Brazil.
Brazilians are a mix of people from many parts of the world, and as a former Portuguese colony, they have many Christmas customs which originate from this heritage.
One tradition is to create a nativity scene or Presépio. The word origins from the Hebrew word "presepium" which means the bed of straw upon which Jesus first slept in Bethlehem. The Presépio is common in northeastern Brazil (Bahia, Sergipe, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Maranhão, Ceará, Pernambuco, Piauí and Alagoas). The Presépio was introduced in the 17th century, in the city of Olinda in the state of Pernambuco by a Franciscan friar named Gaspar de Santo Agostinho. Nowadays presépios are set up in December and displayed in churches, homes, and stores.
The people of Northern Brazil, as in Mexico, enjoy a version of the folk play Los Pastores or "The Shepherds." In the Brazilian version, there are shepherdesses rather than shepherds and a gypsy who attempts to kidnap the Christ Child.
Papai Noel (Father Noel) is the gift-bringer in Brazil. According to legend, he lives in Greenland. When he arrives in Brazil, he usually wears silk clothing due to the summer heat.
A huge Christmas dinner, unusual in the hot summertime, includes turkey, ham, colored rice, and wonderful vegetable and fruit dishes.
Devout Catholics often attend Midnight Mass or Missa do Galo. (A galo is a rooster.) The mass has this name because the rooster announces the coming day and the Missa do Galo finishes at 1 AM on Christmas morning! On December 25th, Catholics go to church, but the masses are mostly late afternoon, because people enjoy sleeping late after the dinner (Ceia de Natal) or going to the beach.
Decorations include fresh flowers picked from the garden. Fireworks go off in the skies over the cites and huge Christmas "trees" of electric lights can be seen against the night skies in major cities such as Brasilia, San Paolo, and Rio de Janeiro.
Smile for the Joy of Others
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
DELHI CRACKS DOWN AS MONKEYS RUN AMUCK
I read this article through MSNBC's World Blog. It struck me quite funny but sad also. If you click on comments you will see where I published comments that were left by readers on the World Blog.
This article was writtend by Ian Williams NBC News Correspondent.
NEW DELHI, India – Sankar Masthri is a monkey catcher. It says so on his business card.
"Monkey, Dog Hunter," it reads, together with little drawings of his targets and his cell phone number. The phone's ringing a lot these days, as India’s capital tries to rid itself of an exploding primate population that’s accused of all kinds of mayhem.
"Problem is, monkeys [are] getting smart," Masthri said, as we watched from a distance as one audacious monkey leaned inside a cage baited with bananas and made away with the food before Masthri could pull a wire to close the hatch and trap it.
Monkey hunters are paid 450 rupees (around $11) per monkey, a good rate by local standards. The monkeys are taken to reserves outside the city after they are caught. Masthri claimed to have caught scores in recent days, but the day we joined him was clearly slow going. "Smart monkey," he repeated, shaking his head and again taking cover behind a bush, wire in hand.
There are an estimated 20,000 monkeys in Delhi, and the effort to get rid of them has taken on new urgency after the deputy mayor of Delhi plunged to his death in October while trying to fend off a group of primates on his balcony.
"Marauding monkeys kill deputy mayor," screamed one newspaper headline. The media was soon filled with lurid tales of monkeys terrorizing the city.
Later, a group of monkeys went on a rampage in a low-income neighborhood, injuring more than 20 people, mostly children. Residents claimed the monkeys tried to snatch the children.
"We have lost our dear deputy mayor," Aarti Mehra, the mayor of Delhi, told me shortly after ordering extra teams of monkey hunters. "This menace must stop."
Anybody who feeds the monkeys will be fined, she says, though more drastic action against the primates – culling, for instance – isn’t really an option since the monkey is revered by the Hindu religion. The monkey God, Hanuman, represents strength.
Do not provoke an angry monkey. To add insult to injury, monkeys have taken a liking to the main government buildings in Delhi, where on most days large troops of them can be seen scaling fences and roofs, sitting provocatively on top of signs reading "Government of India." Several recently broke into the Defense Department, fleeing with confidential documents, which were found scattered over the streets.
They were even declared a security threat recently, amid dark murmurings of a possible Pakistan connection. Some government ministries and foreign embassies have brought in langurs, which are lanky, aggressive monkeys that scare away those causing problems. The langurs patrol middle-class and diplomatic districts.
We’ve had no problem since we deployed the langur wallah," one woman told me in the front yard of her large house, near the park where Masthri was working. "Before they would go to the roof and throw off the pots. They’d tear our clothes from the line. They’d sit on the gate and shake it. We couldn’t go out. The kids couldn’t play."
I (the writer of this article) can testify that the monkeys can be pretty scary. We filmed a stand- up, a clip of me talking to the camera in the park, as I strolled through a bunch of them on a path. As we finished, a pretty angry pair of monkeys confronted me, baring their teeth. I made a pretty rapid exit, with Masthri urging me to avoid even looking at them. He told me that under no circumstance should you confront an angry monkey. Luckily that was the last thing on my mind.
Animal rights activists oppose efforts Plenty of people believe monkeys are getting a bad rap and that the real problem is one of man, not monkey.
Delhi is a rapidly growing city. Urbanization is eating into the forest areas where the monkeys used to live. With so much of their habitat destroyed by man, they’re heading to the city.
Animal rights activists claim the monkey catchers are making matters worse by splitting up families. "They get aggressive when you split up a troop," according to Sonya Ghosh, an animal rights campaigner who is working with the government on the city’s simian crackdown.
First catch of the dayIn the park, Masthri eventually got his first catch of the day, with the door of his cage crashing down behind a monkey that pushed its luck too far. It started thrashing around, shaking the cage. Outside, perhaps 20 others looked on from the trees and the edge of the path. One of them sat on a water tap, nonchalantly turning it on for a drink, then off again.
"They’re getting clever," Masthri repeated. "We’ll have to try a new area." Of course, there are no shortages of areas, and the $11 bounty for each monkey gives him plenty of incentive. But a morning with the monkey hunters does leave you wondering whether the monkeys are not adapting better to the city than the city is to them.
This article was writtend by Ian Williams NBC News Correspondent.
NEW DELHI, India – Sankar Masthri is a monkey catcher. It says so on his business card. "Monkey, Dog Hunter," it reads, together with little drawings of his targets and his cell phone number. The phone's ringing a lot these days, as India’s capital tries to rid itself of an exploding primate population that’s accused of all kinds of mayhem.
"Problem is, monkeys [are] getting smart," Masthri said, as we watched from a distance as one audacious monkey leaned inside a cage baited with bananas and made away with the food before Masthri could pull a wire to close the hatch and trap it.
Monkey hunters are paid 450 rupees (around $11) per monkey, a good rate by local standards. The monkeys are taken to reserves outside the city after they are caught. Masthri claimed to have caught scores in recent days, but the day we joined him was clearly slow going. "Smart monkey," he repeated, shaking his head and again taking cover behind a bush, wire in hand.
There are an estimated 20,000 monkeys in Delhi, and the effort to get rid of them has taken on new urgency after the deputy mayor of Delhi plunged to his death in October while trying to fend off a group of primates on his balcony.
"Marauding monkeys kill deputy mayor," screamed one newspaper headline. The media was soon filled with lurid tales of monkeys terrorizing the city.
Later, a group of monkeys went on a rampage in a low-income neighborhood, injuring more than 20 people, mostly children. Residents claimed the monkeys tried to snatch the children.
"We have lost our dear deputy mayor," Aarti Mehra, the mayor of Delhi, told me shortly after ordering extra teams of monkey hunters. "This menace must stop."
Anybody who feeds the monkeys will be fined, she says, though more drastic action against the primates – culling, for instance – isn’t really an option since the monkey is revered by the Hindu religion. The monkey God, Hanuman, represents strength.
Do not provoke an angry monkey. To add insult to injury, monkeys have taken a liking to the main government buildings in Delhi, where on most days large troops of them can be seen scaling fences and roofs, sitting provocatively on top of signs reading "Government of India." Several recently broke into the Defense Department, fleeing with confidential documents, which were found scattered over the streets. They were even declared a security threat recently, amid dark murmurings of a possible Pakistan connection. Some government ministries and foreign embassies have brought in langurs, which are lanky, aggressive monkeys that scare away those causing problems. The langurs patrol middle-class and diplomatic districts.
We’ve had no problem since we deployed the langur wallah," one woman told me in the front yard of her large house, near the park where Masthri was working. "Before they would go to the roof and throw off the pots. They’d tear our clothes from the line. They’d sit on the gate and shake it. We couldn’t go out. The kids couldn’t play."
I (the writer of this article) can testify that the monkeys can be pretty scary. We filmed a stand- up, a clip of me talking to the camera in the park, as I strolled through a bunch of them on a path. As we finished, a pretty angry pair of monkeys confronted me, baring their teeth. I made a pretty rapid exit, with Masthri urging me to avoid even looking at them. He told me that under no circumstance should you confront an angry monkey. Luckily that was the last thing on my mind.
Animal rights activists oppose efforts Plenty of people believe monkeys are getting a bad rap and that the real problem is one of man, not monkey.
Delhi is a rapidly growing city. Urbanization is eating into the forest areas where the monkeys used to live. With so much of their habitat destroyed by man, they’re heading to the city.
Animal rights activists claim the monkey catchers are making matters worse by splitting up families. "They get aggressive when you split up a troop," according to Sonya Ghosh, an animal rights campaigner who is working with the government on the city’s simian crackdown.
First catch of the dayIn the park, Masthri eventually got his first catch of the day, with the door of his cage crashing down behind a monkey that pushed its luck too far. It started thrashing around, shaking the cage. Outside, perhaps 20 others looked on from the trees and the edge of the path. One of them sat on a water tap, nonchalantly turning it on for a drink, then off again.
"They’re getting clever," Masthri repeated. "We’ll have to try a new area." Of course, there are no shortages of areas, and the $11 bounty for each monkey gives him plenty of incentive. But a morning with the monkey hunters does leave you wondering whether the monkeys are not adapting better to the city than the city is to them.
Monday, December 17, 2007
New Side Bar Info
Just wanted to let y'all know that I have "cleaned" up my side bar information. If you continue to scroll down and look to the right of the page you will notice that I have added and deleted some links. Some of these links are new blogs in Ministries of Interest and some are new places to shop under "The Blog Mall".
I am considering starting a new blog with nothing but recipes that are "busy woman" friendly. These would be easy to fix recipes for busy women...rather you are busy with being a mom, a career or both. I would love to know if there is any interest. If I do this, I definitely want contribution from others in getting recipes.
Also, check out the survey I have added. Feel free to vote, your name nor any personal info is needed.
Just some info. Please let me know what you think. To leave a comment, just click on "comments" below the message. Type in your comment and publish/post. I do ask that you not leave your full name.
Until next time, HB
I am considering starting a new blog with nothing but recipes that are "busy woman" friendly. These would be easy to fix recipes for busy women...rather you are busy with being a mom, a career or both. I would love to know if there is any interest. If I do this, I definitely want contribution from others in getting recipes.
Also, check out the survey I have added. Feel free to vote, your name nor any personal info is needed.
Just some info. Please let me know what you think. To leave a comment, just click on "comments" below the message. Type in your comment and publish/post. I do ask that you not leave your full name.
Until next time, HB
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Christmas Around the World--China
China (Kung His Hsin Nien Bing Chu Shen Tan!):
There's nothing like a gigantic ice sculpture to remind the Chinese that Christmas is coming. Chinese Christians have adopted traditions from the West—they light their homes with paper lanterns and decorate their Tree of Light with paper chains and paper flowers. Children hang stockings in anticipation of a visit by Dun Che Lao Ren (Old Man Christmas).
Christians in China celebrate by lighting their houses with beautiful paper lanterns and decorating their Christmas trees, which they call "Trees of Light," with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns. Chinese Children hang muslin stockings and await a visit from Santa Claus, whom they call Dun Che Lao Ren (dwyn-chuh-lau-oh-run) which means "Christmas Old Man."
Since the vast majority of the Chinese people are not Christian, the main winter festival in China the Chinese New Year which takes place toward the end of January. Now officially called the "Spring Festival," it is a time when children receive new clothing, eat luxurious meals, receive new toys, and enjoy firecracker displays. An important aspect of the New Year celebration is the worship of ancestors. Portraits and paintings of ancestors are brought out and hung in the main room of the home.
Do they Chinese celebrate Christmas in China? Well, the answer to this question is both YES and NO.
If you walked around a major Chinese city 20 years ago, you probably wouldn't have seen many signs of Christmas. This is because Christmas is a Christian holiday and not many Chinese people are Christian. However, if you were to visit those same Chinese cities today, you'd see signs of Christmas everywhere you looked!
On the Avenue of Eternal Peace in Beijing, China, there are Christmas displays everywhere. Many Chinese people celebrate by decorating their houses with Christmas trees, cooking and eating special foods, and spending time with family and friends.
So yes, the Chinese celebrate Christmas. But no, most do not celebrate it for the same reasons that Christians do.
In Hong Kong, the figure who visits children is known as Lan Khoong or Dun Che Lao Ren. There are church services given in Chinese as well as English. Children send Christmas cards depicting the Holy Family in a Chinese setting. Public areas are decorated with Nativities, poinsettias, streamers, and paper chains.
Until next time, HB
There's nothing like a gigantic ice sculpture to remind the Chinese that Christmas is coming. Chinese Christians have adopted traditions from the West—they light their homes with paper lanterns and decorate their Tree of Light with paper chains and paper flowers. Children hang stockings in anticipation of a visit by Dun Che Lao Ren (Old Man Christmas).
Christians in China celebrate by lighting their houses with beautiful paper lanterns and decorating their Christmas trees, which they call "Trees of Light," with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns. Chinese Children hang muslin stockings and await a visit from Santa Claus, whom they call Dun Che Lao Ren (dwyn-chuh-lau-oh-run) which means "Christmas Old Man."
Since the vast majority of the Chinese people are not Christian, the main winter festival in China the Chinese New Year which takes place toward the end of January. Now officially called the "Spring Festival," it is a time when children receive new clothing, eat luxurious meals, receive new toys, and enjoy firecracker displays. An important aspect of the New Year celebration is the worship of ancestors. Portraits and paintings of ancestors are brought out and hung in the main room of the home.
Do they Chinese celebrate Christmas in China? Well, the answer to this question is both YES and NO.
If you walked around a major Chinese city 20 years ago, you probably wouldn't have seen many signs of Christmas. This is because Christmas is a Christian holiday and not many Chinese people are Christian. However, if you were to visit those same Chinese cities today, you'd see signs of Christmas everywhere you looked!
On the Avenue of Eternal Peace in Beijing, China, there are Christmas displays everywhere. Many Chinese people celebrate by decorating their houses with Christmas trees, cooking and eating special foods, and spending time with family and friends.
So yes, the Chinese celebrate Christmas. But no, most do not celebrate it for the same reasons that Christians do.
In Hong Kong, the figure who visits children is known as Lan Khoong or Dun Che Lao Ren. There are church services given in Chinese as well as English. Children send Christmas cards depicting the Holy Family in a Chinese setting. Public areas are decorated with Nativities, poinsettias, streamers, and paper chains.
Until next time, HB
Friday, December 14, 2007
Christmas Around the World--Bethlehem
Bethlehem (Edo Bri'cho o Rish d'Shato Brich'to!):
Palestinian Christian girls and women light candles in the Church of the Nativity, marking the countdown to Christmas Eve. In this town, where Jesus is said to have been born, Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians take part in Christmas processions and religious ceremonies, while mingling with Jews and Muslims. The town is alight with decorations, and often the residents crowd the rooftops to witness the rites.
The little town where Jesus is said to have been born is the site of the Church of the Nativity, which is ablaze with flags and decorations every Christmas. In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, thousands of people rang in the holiday in Manger Square. On Christmas Eve natives and visitors alike crowd the church's doorways and stand on the roof to watch for the dramatic annual procession. Galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses lead the parade. They are followed by solitary horseman carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed. Then come the churchmen and government officials. The procession solemnly enters the doors and places an ancient effigy of the Holy Child in the church. Deep winding stairs lead to a grotto where visitors find a silver star marking the site of the birth of Jesus. Christian homes in Bethlehem are marked by a cross painted over the door and each home displays a homemade manger scene. A star is set up on a pole in the village square.
As one might imagine, Christmas in Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born, is a major event. Some of Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations would be familiar to Europeans and North Americans - the streets are strung with Christmas lights, there is a Christmas market and Christmas plays are performed.
But other events, which are the most important religiously, are special to Bethlehem and in keeping with the traditions of the Holy Land. These consist of multiple services and processions led by many different Christian denominations, including Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Ethiopian, Armenian and more.
Most Christmas processions pass through Manger Square, the plaza outside the Basilica of the Nativity, which stands on the traditional site of Jesus' birth. Catholic services take place in St. Catherine's Church and Protestants often hold services at the Shepherds' Fields.
Bethlehem Christmas celebrations stretch for a long period, as different denominations celebrate Christmas on different days. Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas on December 25; Greek, Syrian and other Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6; and Armenian Christians celebrate Christmas on January 18.
Palestinian Christian girls and women light candles in the Church of the Nativity, marking the countdown to Christmas Eve. In this town, where Jesus is said to have been born, Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians take part in Christmas processions and religious ceremonies, while mingling with Jews and Muslims. The town is alight with decorations, and often the residents crowd the rooftops to witness the rites.
The little town where Jesus is said to have been born is the site of the Church of the Nativity, which is ablaze with flags and decorations every Christmas. In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, thousands of people rang in the holiday in Manger Square. On Christmas Eve natives and visitors alike crowd the church's doorways and stand on the roof to watch for the dramatic annual procession. Galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses lead the parade. They are followed by solitary horseman carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed. Then come the churchmen and government officials. The procession solemnly enters the doors and places an ancient effigy of the Holy Child in the church. Deep winding stairs lead to a grotto where visitors find a silver star marking the site of the birth of Jesus. Christian homes in Bethlehem are marked by a cross painted over the door and each home displays a homemade manger scene. A star is set up on a pole in the village square.
As one might imagine, Christmas in Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born, is a major event. Some of Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations would be familiar to Europeans and North Americans - the streets are strung with Christmas lights, there is a Christmas market and Christmas plays are performed.
But other events, which are the most important religiously, are special to Bethlehem and in keeping with the traditions of the Holy Land. These consist of multiple services and processions led by many different Christian denominations, including Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Ethiopian, Armenian and more.
Most Christmas processions pass through Manger Square, the plaza outside the Basilica of the Nativity, which stands on the traditional site of Jesus' birth. Catholic services take place in St. Catherine's Church and Protestants often hold services at the Shepherds' Fields.
Bethlehem Christmas celebrations stretch for a long period, as different denominations celebrate Christmas on different days. Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas on December 25; Greek, Syrian and other Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6; and Armenian Christians celebrate Christmas on January 18.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Leaves and Laughter
As many leaves were falling, so was the laughter. Last week my dad came over to watch the boys so I could sew with little inturruption. It was such a pretty day, so he took the boys to the backyard. While I was sewing, he told me to get my camera. Of course, I couldn't resist.
They were all playing in the leaves....what a childhood activity. I think every child enjoys "leaping in the leaves".
They were all playing in the leaves....what a childhood activity. I think every child enjoys "leaping in the leaves".
Even Pappaw joined the ranks of childhood for awhile. Don't know of better "grandchild sitting" than this.
“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower”~Albert Camus
Until next time, HB
Christmas Around the World---Australia
Australia (Merry Christmas!):
Naturally, Santa Claus arrives on a surf rescue boat in Queensland, because he visits in high summer. Australians surround themselves with Christmas bush, a native plant that has little red flowers; some use gum-tree branches for decoration, rather than evergreens.
In Melbourne, tens of thousands of people gather each Christmas Eve for Carols by Candlelight, a tradition since the early 20th century, which has caught on in other Australian cities.
Christmas in Australia is always about 30° Celsius which is a rather hot day. Most Australian families go away and spend their holidays in a resort or on the beach. Swimming is always popular.
Unlike in New York, people walk around in shorts and T-shirts and still get sweltering hot. Everyone invites their friends and grandparents over for salad with cold meats, or a picnic, or even a barbecue. Nobody has anything like a roast dinner or a turkey.
When kids wake up in the morning, they hurriedly toss off their sheet and race towards the plastic Christmas tree. The presents are piled up under it. When the time comes to open the presents the kids tear off the paper. When all of this is over they go outside and have a game of Cricket or go to the beach for a swim.
In poorer areas of Australia, kids expect two or three presents but some get many.
Families sometimes venture north or go overseas for Christmas but most stay in Australia and relax in the floods of glorious sunshine.
In Queensland, the beaches are incredibly popular, especially down at the Gold Coast.
The food is never hot, and many go out for dinner instead of having a heavy lunch. Many people go to church as well to celebrate and pray.
The next big holiday is the day after, Boxing Day. I'm not sure if you have a similar day in America, but in Australia this is like a day for cleaning up. Everyone helps out to clear the paper and to store it for next year, and the tree is also disassembled.
Christmas is the most exciting time of the year. The school kids get six weeks off and all the shops close on Christmas day and Boxing Day. December is one of the hottest months of the year so many people need air conditioning in their house. Sometimes it can get so hot and sticky that you can't stay outside for more than an hour.
Compared to New York, our ways and traditions may be different but we all celebrate Christmas for the same cause.
Forget the snow, forget the sleighs.
It's never a white Christmas in Australia where Christmas Day occurs in the first month of the southern summer. Unless of course, you are at the top of Mt Kosciuszko where you still might find some unmelted snow.
Christmas in Australia, you may as well forget the turkey, too, although quite a large number of Aussies cling to the English tradition of a Christmas roast dinner. And yes, it's quite anachronistic to have cold-weather fare on a summer's day.
The trend for Christmas in Australia has been toward seafood - prawns, lobsters, crabs, mussels, scallops, pippies, Balmain bugs - and cold salad as Christmas fare. And lots of fine Australian wine and robust Australian beer.
So, for Christmas in Australia, we have Santa Claus (sweltering in his heavy suit), Christmas cards (some depicting snow and, yes, sleighs and reindeer, too), Christmas carols, heavy shopping and Christmas gift-giving.
Outdoor activities
Because it's summer, many Christmas in Australia celebrations occur outdoors, with steaks and prawns on the barbie, and beer drunk out of bottles.
In the evening, there could be Carols by Candlelight, the big ones being at the Domain in Sydney and at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. Smaller cities, and towns, and villages and suburbs, too, may have their own Carols by Candlelight versions.
Church services
For the religious there's Midnight Mass and Christmas Day services.
And there's always the beach. And because it's summer, there'll be people celebrating Christmas in Australia on the beach when the weather's fine.
And before you know it, it's Boxing Day.
Until next time, HB
Naturally, Santa Claus arrives on a surf rescue boat in Queensland, because he visits in high summer. Australians surround themselves with Christmas bush, a native plant that has little red flowers; some use gum-tree branches for decoration, rather than evergreens.
In Melbourne, tens of thousands of people gather each Christmas Eve for Carols by Candlelight, a tradition since the early 20th century, which has caught on in other Australian cities.
Christmas in Australia is always about 30° Celsius which is a rather hot day. Most Australian families go away and spend their holidays in a resort or on the beach. Swimming is always popular.
Unlike in New York, people walk around in shorts and T-shirts and still get sweltering hot. Everyone invites their friends and grandparents over for salad with cold meats, or a picnic, or even a barbecue. Nobody has anything like a roast dinner or a turkey.
When kids wake up in the morning, they hurriedly toss off their sheet and race towards the plastic Christmas tree. The presents are piled up under it. When the time comes to open the presents the kids tear off the paper. When all of this is over they go outside and have a game of Cricket or go to the beach for a swim.
In poorer areas of Australia, kids expect two or three presents but some get many.
Families sometimes venture north or go overseas for Christmas but most stay in Australia and relax in the floods of glorious sunshine.
In Queensland, the beaches are incredibly popular, especially down at the Gold Coast.
The food is never hot, and many go out for dinner instead of having a heavy lunch. Many people go to church as well to celebrate and pray.
The next big holiday is the day after, Boxing Day. I'm not sure if you have a similar day in America, but in Australia this is like a day for cleaning up. Everyone helps out to clear the paper and to store it for next year, and the tree is also disassembled.
Christmas is the most exciting time of the year. The school kids get six weeks off and all the shops close on Christmas day and Boxing Day. December is one of the hottest months of the year so many people need air conditioning in their house. Sometimes it can get so hot and sticky that you can't stay outside for more than an hour.
Compared to New York, our ways and traditions may be different but we all celebrate Christmas for the same cause.
Forget the snow, forget the sleighs.
It's never a white Christmas in Australia where Christmas Day occurs in the first month of the southern summer. Unless of course, you are at the top of Mt Kosciuszko where you still might find some unmelted snow.
Christmas in Australia, you may as well forget the turkey, too, although quite a large number of Aussies cling to the English tradition of a Christmas roast dinner. And yes, it's quite anachronistic to have cold-weather fare on a summer's day.
The trend for Christmas in Australia has been toward seafood - prawns, lobsters, crabs, mussels, scallops, pippies, Balmain bugs - and cold salad as Christmas fare. And lots of fine Australian wine and robust Australian beer.
So, for Christmas in Australia, we have Santa Claus (sweltering in his heavy suit), Christmas cards (some depicting snow and, yes, sleighs and reindeer, too), Christmas carols, heavy shopping and Christmas gift-giving.
Outdoor activities
Because it's summer, many Christmas in Australia celebrations occur outdoors, with steaks and prawns on the barbie, and beer drunk out of bottles.
In the evening, there could be Carols by Candlelight, the big ones being at the Domain in Sydney and at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. Smaller cities, and towns, and villages and suburbs, too, may have their own Carols by Candlelight versions.
Church services
For the religious there's Midnight Mass and Christmas Day services.
And there's always the beach. And because it's summer, there'll be people celebrating Christmas in Australia on the beach when the weather's fine.
And before you know it, it's Boxing Day.
Until next time, HB
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