Christmas traditions elsewhere

[Simon Biber]

No: HPFGUIDX 7051

> I've been thinking. We've talked a lot about Brit traditions ( mostly
> English ) . Could some of our correspondents from other countries give
> us an idea of where their traditions differ ? Perhaps this could be a
> basis for a fan fic about a trip to Durmstrang, Beauxbatons or another
> wizarding school.

Ok here goes (Australia).

First and foremost, it's Summer. Christmas Day is usually high-thirties,
even into the forties (Celcius).

Although we have British traditions, some has to be adapted for the weather.
Often we eat cold ham instead of hot turkey. We have plenty of salads,
including normal salad (including lettuce, tomatoes and avocados), caesar
salad (lettuce, cheese, croutons and sometimes olives or anchovies), potato
salad (mostly potatoes) and coleslaw (cabbage and carrot).

And christmas pudding -- a rich, heavy fruit cake. Yum!!! My mother makes
lovely brandy butter, and we have done the flaming a few times. Her brandy
butter also has sugar in it, which makes it quite tasty to eat on its own
:-)

Christmas crackers are called bon-bons here. They are made of brightly
coloured paper like wrapping paper, fashioned into a tube about 3 cm
diameter and 15 cm long, with each end twisted to hold in the contents.
Inside is a long thin strip of paper with gunpowder in the middle which
makes a bang as you pull the bon-bon. Also inside is a paper (or thin
plastic) crown, a bit of paper with jokes and a little gift. The bon-bons
are supplied by the host and one is put on each person's plate when setting
the table.

I agree that HP crackers would be magical... no gunpowder.

Simon.