Wondering how Australians do Christmas down under? Feeling the need to get into the spirit of the season? Need some ideas on how to decorate your house this year, how to really celebrate Christmas like a child, forgotten the words to your favourite Christmas carol, or run out of recipe ideas?

I love everything about Christmas (except the traffic), so feel welcome to share your ideas, recipes, photos and more. And have a merry Christmas.

To get you in the Christmas mood, here’s a little Christmas poem based around the Christmas Australia theme:

Christmas in Australia

It’s Christmas in Australia
So here’s a little tale for ya
To spread throughout the land.

About two boys about to spend
Some dough on presents grand.

For mum they’d eyed a ring of gold
A thing of joy and beauty.
They liked to give her something nice
‘Twas not mere Christmas duty.

For dad it was a harder task
To find a present blokey
They chose a CD full of songs
To sing at Karaoke.

In Australia it’s summertime
When we have our Noel
So as a gift for cousins
They chose stuff for swimming pools.

The sun was slowly setting
When they finally checked their wallets
So when they found them empty
Man, they just looked like stunned mullets.

They had to earn some money fast
So thought of all their talents
The youngest did a mean beatbox
The oldest best at ballads.

They chose a section of the streets
And belted out their music
Amazingly it sounded good
It was that Christmas magic.

Their wallets filled they hit the shops
And picked out all the gifts
They raced up stairs and passageways
And skipped the crowded lifts.

Ah Christmas in Australia
A shopping misadventure
Kiss all your rellies old and young
Imagine what THEY went through.

Christmas Australia © Chris Raynor, 2004