As the days grow warmer and longer, most Australians enter the season of Mariah Carey, crowded shopping centres, and gingerbread. For most Greeks in Australia, they might feel this season is more accurately described by the sight of a lamb on a spit, the sound of kalanda sung at Greek school Christmas concerts, and the smell of freshly baked melomakarona.
There’s something uniquely special about celebrating Christmas in Australia with the sweltering heat, outdoor barbecues and beach trips. While an Australian Christmas might differ from Greece’s white Christmas, the gathering of family and loved ones remains the same.
Dr Konstandina Dounis, cultural historian and Greek Australian literary expert, fondly recalls her childhood Christmas memories spent with a large extended family celebrating the day.
“As I have been saying for decades now, it was very much a ‘parallel universe situation’ for those of us growing up in the 1960s: Christmas cards and little gifts amongst our school friends – and Greek music, dancing, lamb on the spit and every delicious sweet and delicacy imaginable within our Greek households,” she told The Greek Herald.
When asked about her favourite Christmas memory, Konstandina remembers her mother’s cooking and baking in the tiny kitchen behind her family’s fish and chip shop, and her father cooking the lamb on the spit in their small courtyard.
“Most of these wonderful, vibrant protagonists of this scene have passed away and so these memories are bitter-sweet,” she said. “Our grainy black and white photos are precious heirlooms that keep these memories alive.”
Greek Australian mother and teacher Anna Boussioutas also remembers her Christmas spent as a child where in the morning her family were gathered around the Christmas tree, eagerly awaiting their presents.
She told The Greek Herald, “As we grew older our responsibilities changed to include assisting with the cooking, setting of the table and enjoying the feast that my late mum had prepared.”
For Anna, celebrating Christmas today means her house smells like sweet spices, and her mix master is turned on as she bakes to make traditional sweets she loves to offer as gifts. She appreciates that the day is about “time spent with family over a feast, a lamb on the spit.”
Both Konstandina and Anna acknowledge the changes in their own family Christmas traditions from when they were younger.
Konstandina said, “Although I am a strong believer in keeping our parents’ memory alive, I am also mindful of the importance of creating new memories for our children. Our Greek traditions are beautiful, but rituals are organic things and can become richer with new influences.”
She chooses to make these new memories on Phillip Island with her cousin and his family.
“My cousin has retained all the traditions – lamb on the spit takes pride of place – but he is a master fisherman and so there is always an abundance of fresh fish, oysters and prawns. There are Greek dishes but there are also other types of dishes as well,” she said.
“It is a huge gathering of people – Greeks and non-Greeks – with all types of music and stories. My family and I could honestly not imagine a more joyous Christmas Day.”
Just as Konstandina’s family traditions have evolved as the years have passed, Anna shared a similar sentiment saying, “As families grow we learn to embrace other traditions from other cultures, but all find that it is common practice to be amongst loved ones sharing the Christmas spirit, joy and peace.”
While it can be tempting to hold tightly onto old traditions, sometimes the most beautiful moments of Christmas come from new memories made.
While it might not be possible to capture the exact same wonder of Christmas from your childhood, especially when loved ones who made it special are no longer there, by appreciating old traditions and combining them with new family rituals, the celebration and tradition of Christmas can evolve for the next generation of families to enjoy the holiday.
