Christmas in Sydney

astonaidan

Just wondering how everyone finds christmas over here, Like I dont find it christmassy at all, But how it generally affects ye, My sister and her boyfriend are finding it really tough coming up to christmas, We always spend christmas together with the family and this is the first year for us apart, Their does seem to be a totally different feeling over here for it, like no christmas songs playing and the likes

GalwayKiefer

I find it surreal to be honest to be in a shop in shorts and a t-shirt roasting hot and listening to Jingle Bells over the speakers. This will be my second Christmas here and I'm not especially looking forward to it but it's different strokes - to the Aussies Christmas means the beach etc, to us it means cold, dark nights etc. An aunt of mine who has lived here since the 70's does Christmas in July with her friends (all ex-pats) every year where they head to a ski resort and get a log cabin and celebrate a turkey and ham Christmas.

hussey

It's bizarre how on the 24th of November we think we should be feeling chrismassy (not a knock on you OP) - my family are all wrapping presents and xmas shopping since Oct .. crazy & commercial

I love Irish pubs at xmas, as they have Irish xmas (songs, hats etc)
In ireland we have nothing else to look forward to in winter to get us through, so we make a huge effort - and it's fantastic

You simply cannot compare a winter xmas to a summer one,

astonaidan

Its just at home, Christmas is my favourite season and I love buying presents, What I was wondering is if ye generally feel sad over here around christmas?

Father Damo

Bored more than sad. Amazingly for some reason Easter is way bigger here than Christmas. Back home you stop noticing it is Easter after you are about 11 (apart from the Thursday night offy stockpiling tradition :pac: ). tbh to live in such a great place for 10 I can sacrifice having a real Christmas. But yeah, apart from the Irish bars you wont see pretty much any type of Christmassy atmosphere anywhere.

mel123

I was in Sydney last year and say the beginning of December is when I felt it for a couple of weeks, then as it came nearer to Christmas I was fine. I think it's people at home talking about buying their presents, doing their tree, ordering this that and all the other. If you love Christmas it's very hard and very different over there. Plus the Aussies don't make a big fuss the way we do, and most shops don't even put up decorations, let alone a Christmas cd in the background. Come the time they you will have a great time, there is a great buzz around on Xmas day with travellers. I had to remind myself it was one Christmas I was missing at home from x amount :-) and every Christmas day for me is the exact same you can almost set your watch by it!!!

mandrake04

Out of all the cities Adelaide seems to make the biggest effort with Christmas, was strange seeing thousands of people line the streets of Adelaide to watch the Christmas Pageant parade in +30C the other Saturday.

number10a

Christ, it sounds like my idea of heaven!! I like Christmas from around 22/23 December when you get to start buying the food - especially going around the English Market in Cork. But anytime before that, I **HATE** it. Really despise the big build-up that we have over here for it. It just takes all the good out of it.

Cooperspale

If it's your first Christmas in Australia, it will have to feel surreal. If you don't have a lot of family here obviously that will be tough as it's the one time of year that folk make an effort to catch up with family in Oz and Irl. It is polar opposite to Ireland in terms of weather in December so less people do their houses in lights, most have a fake tree etc. Shoppingwise, I think it's very similar. The shoppers all go nuts no matter where they are. The only thing ,besides family and friends, that I miss after a number of years here are the Christmas songs on the radio, I have never heard fairy tale in new York on oz radio.
Thankfully there's always the Internet.
And now I quite enjoy alfresco lunch/dinner on Dec 25th, though I would much prefer the St Stephens Day races rather than the Boxing Day cricket but that's a small sacrifice to be honest.
Enjoy it for its difference to home, I hope you have a good one.

jbyrne88

can anybody recommend any ideas on how to spend xmas day in Sydney? This is our (myself, girlfriend and 2 friends) first xmas here and can't decide what we want to do. Obviously, Bondi is an option, but is it any good on xmas day? Any other ideas? thanks!

Mellor

jbyrne88 wrote: »

can anybody recommend any ideas on how to spend xmas day in Sydney? This is our (myself, girlfriend and 2 friends) first xmas here and can't decide what we want to do. Obviously, Bondi is an option, but is it any good on xmas day? Any other ideas? thanks!

I'm assuming when you mention bondi, you're roughly out that direction.
There's sunburnt christmas down the bondi pavillion that day.


Coogee beach is pretty popular, BBQs, beers etc. They all be pretty busy really.