Living in Australia, it’s difficult to ignore the sights and sounds announcing the coming of Christmas: starting from a month out, your emails begin to fill up with increasingly urgent and vaguely threatening gift suggestions; carols and Mariah Carey become the soundtrack to your weekly shop.
For the more than 50% of Australians who do not identify as Christian, the holiday is still a key date in the calendar. Many families have the day off and many workplaces enforce “shut-down periods” over the time between 25 December and early January, making it a natural time to relax, spend time with loved ones – and even create traditions. Here, five people share their celebrations.
