Santa, seafood, presents… families in Australia mark Christmas with a variety of traditions. Members of the SBS Radio team share how they celebrate this time of year.
Carlos Colina, Executive Producer, SBS Spanish
I'm from Colombia and we celebrate Christmas with family at midnight by opening gifts and hugging each other. And then, we have a feast.
We party through the night till six or seven in the morning.
Food served depends on the region. I am from the north coast of Colombia and it's all about seafood there. There's a fish broth for the morning after the party. So, at 7 am, you're having a really rich fish soup, excellent for after the party.
One of the beautiful things about our tradition is that it's so familial: family, neighbours — everyone gets together. You can celebrate with them, they come to your place and you go to theirs to wish them Merry Christmas. It's a very unifying celebration.
In Melbourne, it’s a bit different because I don't have any family here. So, I attend midnight mass in a church with my wife and daughter. We go home, have a feast and the next day, meet friends for a barbeque or a nice lunch in the park.
Melissa Compagnoni, Radio operations
We keep the programs broadcasting day and night, including Christmas Day.
So, on Christmas Day, I will come to work at 5.30 am. I might give myself a late mark, and turn up at 5.35 am.
Hopefully, I can find a cup of coffee on the public holiday. But this gives me the opportunity to see Santa Claus in the sky early in the morning and I'm pretty excited about that!
Hassan Jama, Executive Producer, SBS Somali
Christmas for us, in general, is the holiday season, but we don't particularly have a celebration at home or in the wider community. We just enjoy the festivities in general.
It may mean going to the beach, hanging out with friends or bringing families together, but we don't celebrate in a religious sense. I would say 99 per cent of Somalis are of Islamic faith, so we celebrate Eid with great fervour.
It is celebrated twice a year, which marks the main celebratory event for Muslims across the world.
One comes after Ramadan — the Islamic holy month of fasting — and the other five or six months later, which is another significant religious event in the Islamic calendar.
People get together and eat, though that happens less in Western countries. Back home during Eid, kids will dress up in new clothes, go to family members and get presents, whether it is money or clothes or biscuits — whatever. So, there's an element of giving to kids and others, but to a lesser extent here in Australia.
Zain Nabi (left) likes to eat stuffed turkey at Christmas. He comes from Pakistan and is a trainer at SBS. Hassan Jama, Executive Producer at SBS Somali, gets together with friends and family during the holidays. Source: SBS / Julia Grewe
Zain Nabi, Digital Production and Content Trainer
I'm from Pakistan. We don't celebrate Christmas here or back home because we don't have a lot of people who do.
Most of the Pakistani population, over 90 per cent, are Muslims. We do have Christians who celebrate Christmas though.
But here, we use this opportunity to spend time with friends and family, visit each other and sometimes also cook a turkey.
Natasha Kampmark, SBS Serbian
For us, the festival is Orthodox Christmas which we celebrate on 7 January each year.
But our families here in Australia usually have friends or relatives who celebrate on the 24 and 25 December. So, we get a bonus Christmas and celebrate twice!
Dina Gerolymou, Senior Producer, SBS Greek
Christmas is big for the Greek community everywhere. It's a very significant celebration on the Greek Orthodox calendar and we celebrate it in a grand way, with families getting together around a lot of food.
Early in the morning on Christmas, we go to church, after which we have a special dish made of meat. Traditionally, we fast for 40 days before Christmas, being strictly vegan.
When we break that fast on Christmas Day in the morning after church, this dish actually tastes quite delicious.
A lovely Greek tradition revolves around children going from house to house on Christmas eve and singing carols. There is a specific Christmas carol that announces the birth of Christ.
When they finish singing, people give them money. In the olden days, they would get something homemade but nowadays, they get money.
Another special thing about Greek New Year celebrations is that traditionally, Santa comes on New Year's Day, not Christmas Day.
Our Santa is Saint Basil. We celebrate his arrival on 1 January.
Saint Basil was a real person, the bishop of Caesarea and is remembered for his good deeds as a monk, priest and then bishop.
We also have another custom for that day which involves adults giving money to each other. Husbands give money to their wives, fathers, mothers and grandparents to their children.
We have a traditional dish in honour of Saint Basil — a special cake called Vasilopita. In that, we hide a coin and whoever finds it, is the lucky person for the year.
From the team at SBS Radio, we wish you and your family a Happy Christmas, however you celebrate!
