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Christmas in Australia falls in the middle of summer. Instead of snow and a hot roast dinner, it’s hot weather, cold seafood, a barbecue and, if you’re lucky, a pool to jump into after lunch.
Darren and I live in Brisbane, where Christmas Day is usually hot. If you’re used to a winter Christmas, that can take some getting used to. Here’s what a summer Christmas is really like: the weather, how Australians spend the day, what’s on the table, Boxing Day, and what to know if you’re travelling around Australia over the holidays.
At a Glance
Season
Summer (December to February)
Weather
Hot across most of the country – humid in the north and east, dry in the west, milder in the south
Public holidays
Christmas Day and Boxing Day, Australia-wide
On the table
Seafood, cold meats, salads and pavlova
Busiest travel time
The summer school holidays, mid-December to late January
Christmas lunch out
Book when you book your trip
What the weather’s like at Christmas
Australia is a big country, so Christmas weather depends a lot on where you are. In general, it’s hot and humid in the north and along the east coast, hot and dry in the west, and milder and more changeable in the south. The tropical north is in its wet season, so Darwin is hot and humid with afternoon storms. Perth, in the west, usually has dry, sunny days, with an average December high of around 30°C (86°F). Melbourne and Hobart can swing from warm to cool in the same week.
In Brisbane, Christmas Day is usually hot, and when a heatwave comes through, it can get up to 35°C (95°F) or even 40°C (104°F). That’s why so many Christmas gatherings here end up around a pool.
And yes, it can snow at Christmas in Australia, but only in the right places further south, and not often. The year we spent the week after Christmas in Tasmania, Cradle Mountain had snow on Christmas Day. There wasn’t much, and it was mostly gone the next day. Snow at Christmas is rare enough here that it made the news.
How Australians spend Christmas Day
Every family does Christmas a little differently. Here’s how ours goes.
Christmas morning is just Darren and me. We have a relaxed start with a cooked breakfast (usually bacon and eggs) and a nice coffee, give each other our presents, and enjoy a lazy morning.
Then we head to one of the family’s houses, usually one with a pool. These days it’s normally one of Darren’s sisters’ places, and the whole family comes: Darren’s mum, his sisters, their families and kids, and their in-laws too. It’s a pretty big family gathering. The bubbles, wine and beer all come out, and there are always Christmas crackers (we also call them bon bons) on the table, so we all sit down to lunch in our paper hats, reading out the stupid jokes and riddles that come out of them.
On a hot Christmas Day, the pool is the place to be. When we’re on the Gold Coast for Christmas, we head to the beach for a swim instead. After lunch, lots of families head into the backyard or down to the beach for a game of cricket.
Even Santa has to adapt. In the Australian Christmas song Six White Boomers, Santa reaches Australia, unhitches his reindeer because it’s too hot for them, and hitches up six white kangaroos (boomers) to do the Australian run instead. It’s a quirky, fun one.
Christmas at our place: Indy dressed as Santa, and a poodle ornament on our tree.
Lisa’s Tip
At a family Christmas, everyone usually gets assigned something to bring: the seafood, the dessert, a salad. If you’re invited to a family Christmas while you’re here, ask what you can bring.
What Australians eat for Christmas
Forget the hot roast. Christmas lunch here is built for the heat: cold meats, salads, sausages on the barbecue and plenty of seafood. The seafood is mostly shellfish rather than fish, so think prawns, Moreton Bay bugs (a kind of slipper lobster) and lobster. I don’t eat seafood, so I leave all of that to everyone else.
Dessert is always pavlova and trifle, served with ice cream, along with lots of seasonal fruit like cherries, watermelon and apricots.
The Christmas Eve seafood run
Because seafood is such a big part of Christmas lunch, Christmas Eve means huge queues at the fish shops, especially in Queensland. We’ve queued at fish shops on Christmas Eve, and we’ve bought straight off the trawlers too. Some trawlers come in to the docks and sell directly to the public, like the ones on The Spit at Main Beach on the Gold Coast, and there are good fish shops around Redcliffe in northern Brisbane.
In our family, someone always gets the job of doing the seafood run. Not being a seafood eater, I always manage to steer clear of that one.
Family Christmas spreads: a summer salad for lunch, and a platter of sweets and cherries.
How to spend Christmas Day in Australia as a visitor
If you’re in Australia for Christmas without family here, there’s still plenty to do. You just need to plan ahead, because Christmas Day books out.
Book Christmas lunch early
Going out for Christmas lunch is really popular here. Lots of Australian families do it too, so they don’t have to cook and prepare it all themselves. Most of the major hotels put on a lavish Christmas banquet, and some restaurants do a Christmas lunch as well. They book out quickly, and even Australians get caught out by not booking soon enough. Many restaurants that open on the day also add a public holiday surcharge.
Lisa’s Tip
If you’re planning to be in Australia for Christmas, book your Christmas lunch when you book your trip. Leave it too late and you may not get a booking at all.
Then cool off with a swim
It can get really hot on Christmas Day, so my suggestion is a long lunch at one of the big hotels or a really nice restaurant, then a swim. In Brisbane, head to Streets Beach at South Bank, a free swimming lagoon beside the river. It’s patrolled by lifeguards, and you can still swim outside their hours. It’ll be very popular. You could also drive to the Gold Coast for a swim at the beach, but it’s a bit of a drive unless you’re staying down there. Or just go for a wander through South Bank.
Finish with a barbecue in the park
In the evening, you can head to a park for a barbecue, just like a lot of Australians do. Brisbane’s parks have public barbecues that are free to use (many are electric), so all you need is the food. Buy it before Christmas Day, as most shops are closed, and get there early, as the popular spots fill up.
Say yes to an invitation
We’ve had family from overseas join us for Christmas. If you’re invited to an Australian family Christmas, remember to ask what you can bring.
Christmas lights, carols and markets
December is all about Christmas lights. In Brisbane, Roma Street Parkland puts on a big light display in the lead-up to Christmas, and it’s all about the lights. Called the Enchanted Garden, it’s ticketed and usually finishes just before Christmas, so book ahead. South Bank has lights too, plus Christmas markets and carols, which makes it a fun night out. In the city, the Brisbane Arcade decorates every year and goes all out: its recent displays have used more than 100,000 LED lights and 12,000 baubles, plus a giant wreath you can stand in for photos.
Lots of Australians decorate their houses with Christmas lights, and there are competitions for the best displays, with the entries listed online each year. There are even Christmas lights bus tours. Darren and I like to get in the car and drive around the decorated houses in December. They’re a bit all over the place, so the lists are handy.
Most cities and towns hold their own carols in December, and the big televised carols, like Carols by Candlelight in Melbourne, are part of Christmas Eve for a lot of Australians.
Christmas at the Brisbane Arcade: Maureen in the giant wreath, and the arcade from the upper level.
Boxing Day in Australia
Boxing Day (26 December) is also a public holiday everywhere in Australia. For many people, it’s all about the sales. For cricket fans, it’s the first day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and in Sydney the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race starts from the harbour.
The fastest yachts usually reach Hobart a couple of days later. One year we watched them come in on the Derwent River from the gardens near Battery Point.
If Christmas is family time, Boxing Day is friends’ time for us. We’ll be at home or at a friend’s place having a barbecue, with the cricket on TV in the background. We steer clear of the sales: they’re pretty crazy, and we really don’t need more things.
Christmas in July
If you miss a hot Christmas dinner, you’re not the only one. We don’t like missing out on a traditional cooked Christmas lunch either, and that’s where Christmas in July comes in. July is the middle of winter here, so it’s the perfect excuse for the full hot meal. New Zealand and South Africa hold midwinter Christmas celebrations too.
We have ours on a weekend as close as we can to 25 July: pork, turkey, ham and all the veggies, sometimes as a lunch and sometimes as a weekend dinner. We do it with friends more than family, which works well, because Christmas Day itself is family time. Christmas in July is our excuse to get friends around the table for the big hot Christmas meal.
Travelling in Australia over Christmas
Christmas is also the middle of the summer school holidays, which run from mid-December until late January. Australian families are on the move, so it’s one of the busiest times to travel here. If you’re planning a trip, book your accommodation early, especially in popular holiday spots. Our guide to the best time to visit Australia covers the seasons in more detail.
We flew to Tasmania on 27 December and spent the time between Christmas and New Year there. We booked all our accommodation through Booking.com before we left, because while you don’t always see the crowds, they’re definitely there, and places book out.
When we hiked Cradle Mountain on 30 December, there weren’t many people on the Horse Track, the trail we took up. Coming back down along the start of the Overland Track, we saw quite a few more.
Good to Know
Public holidays and what’s open
Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December) are public holidays across Australia. When either falls on a weekend, an extra public holiday is added on the next weekday. Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory also have a part-day public holiday on the evening of Christmas Eve.
Most shops are closed on Christmas Day, so stock up on anything you need beforehand.
Many cafés and restaurants that do open on public holidays add a surcharge, which has to be shown on the menu. Public transport runs to special Christmas or public holiday timetables, and some services don’t run at all, so check before you head out.
Good to Know
Beach and sun safety
- Swim between the red and yellow flags. That’s the patrolled part of the beach, where lifesavers are watching.
- Know what to do in a rip. If you’re caught in one, don’t swim against it. Float, raise your arm and call for help, or swim parallel to the beach until you’re out of it.
- Stinger season in the tropical north. From about November to May, swim inside the stinger nets where there are any, and wear a stinger suit.
- The sun is strong. Wear a hat and sunscreen, and find shade in the middle of the day.
A summer Christmas is worth experiencing
We love a cold Christmas too, and we’ve spent Christmas in Vienna and in Seoul in recent years. If you’re after a winter Christmas, our guides to Christmas in Seoul and Christmas in Vienna cover the lights and markets we saw there.
A summer Christmas might feel strange if you’ve grown up with snow, but there’s a lot to like about one: long, hot days, a table full of seafood and pavlova, and a swim after lunch. And if you miss the roast, there’s always July.
Until next time… keep wandering.
Last updated: 12 November 2026. Public holiday arrangements and Brisbane Christmas event details checked.
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