Christmas Day 2026 Australia

Christmas Day has been a public holiday in Australia since the earliest days of European settlement. As a summer Christmas, Australian celebrations have developed their own distinctive character that blends northern hemisphere traditions with the local climate.

Christmas in Australia means barbecues, beach trips, backyard cricket, and seafood alongside more traditional roasts and puddings. The Boxing Day Test cricket match at the MCG is a beloved post-Christmas tradition. Most workplaces shut down from Christmas Eve through to early January.