(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)
Christian leaders have used Christmas messages to call on Australians to be less self-focused, and to be more generous to others.
And representatives of other religions say the Christmas-New Year period is a good time for reflection on the past year, and the year ahead.
Santilla Chingaipe has more.
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The Oxford dictionary has declared "selfie", or taking a photo of oneself, the word of the year for 2013, in recognition of a surge in its use.
The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, is unimpressed.
In his first Christmas message, he says the holiday period should be about more than taking photos of ourselves.
"What is it about our society that 'selfie' is the landmark word for 2013? Many of us cringe at the self-centredness of these self-portraits, as much as the bad photography, but many 'selfies' will be taken over the Christmas period. But at Christmas time we should remember that there is an ultimate self-image, the image of God, which far outweighs the supercilious picture of a face filling our screen."
The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney has used his Christmas message to urge Christians to have the courage to face what he's called scepticism and occasional hostility.
It comes at the end of a year in which the Catholic Church has been widely criticised for its handling of child sex abuse allegations.
Cardinal George Pell has encouraged Christians to be good people, helping others in trouble with kindness and a smile.
"The Christ Child at Bethlehem changed everything. As Christians we need to believe this, before we can hope to encourage others to join us. Pax et bonum... Peace and goodness to all. A happy and blessed Christmas to everyone, especially those who are sick or sad."
Sheikh Isse Musse is the Imam of the Virgin Mary Mosque in the Melbourne suburb of Werribee.
He says the Christmas-New Year period is a good time for Australians to reflect, and to think of those who are less fortunate.
"We hope that people spend their time in a very good way. That road fatalities will not be many and we also wish every people of the world especially those people who are facing difficult time in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places, to have better year that is about to begin and that 2013 ends as well in a better shape."
Rabbi David Freedman from the Central Synagogue in Sydney says Australian society has faced many challenges in 2013.
He says he hopes the New Year brings about positive developments for Australia.
"We wish first and foremost, the leaders of our community the strength and the wisdom to be able to deal with those problems for the sake of the common good. I think that's the most important thing. We want to live in society that's open, that's free, that's prosperous, affluent, that we can all share in that and along with continuing development especially in areas health so that we all have the benefit of living in this modern age that we do."
Kim Allan Hollow, from the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils agrees the festive period is a time to remember that people have a range of religious beliefs.
"We're always hoping for peace and understanding and compassion. We all need to understand that everyone has their own set of beliefs and some people have no belief, but it's important to understand and accept that everyone has their own beliefs and we should embrace those beliefs and not try to impose ours on those people."
Even those with no religious beliefs agree that the Christmas-New Year period is a time for reflection.
Michael Boyd is the President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia.
He says regardless of people's religious beliefs, this time of year is of significance for all Australians.
"This time of the year has been a period of celebration for humans for thousands of years, certainly for a long time before Christianity began. We commend our fellow citizens to continue that long tradition. Enjoy time with your family, friends and loved ones. Reflect on how lucky you are to live in a secular society where religion does not dominate the world."
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