Yahoo!7 Answers Australia

Australia is a pretty diverse nation, and while Christmas is the dominant celebration for this time of year, many of us are are celebrating a different kind of festivity. Answers user Jelly123 was curious about these celebrations and got some very interesting responses!

What do other religions celebrate instead of Christmas?

Muslims have two main festive occasions. One is called Eid ul Adha, which this year fall on the 8th December. This particular festive occasion honours Abraham’s willingness to submit to the Will of God. The other called Eid ul Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan (The Fasting Month). I usually put up fairy lights in the house for the 3 days. Other friends of mine, get their kids to decorate their houses with lanterns, balloons, streamers and even tinsel! My kids find presents on the couch in the morning, but they can’t open them until after the 7am-8am Eid prayer at the mosque. Many families cook special desserts/biscuits that signify Eid. Last year my Eid biscuits were gingerbread men & women, this year it was jam drops. I’m still experimenting with different desserts, looking for that perfect Australian Eid dish. The Pavlova is already reserved for birthdays, so I’m still looking. On Eid night, we come home at night feeling bloated and on a massive sugar high from all the desserts. The kids count the money they’ve been given by relo’s and play with their pressies. Take away the tree, Santa, the roast ham & the alcohol laden pudding and it’s exactly the same as Xmas.

- Mon

I’m a Hindu living in Australia. We just put some decorations so we don’t look different from the house next door, which blinds people every time we go outside. We also buy each other gifts because everyone likes them and because every time we go into a shop, the sign “BUY A GIFT FOR A LOVED ONE” is standing in your face and shop attendants kep badgering you.

- Chris S

I’m a non-practicing Hindu Sydneysider and Hinduism’s most auspicious festival’s Diwali – the festival of lights. Mythologically, it marks the arrival of Lord Rama back into the town of Ayodhya (which yes, is really a town in the East-South Eastern region of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh) after 14 years of exile and of course the defeat of Lankan King Ravana (who’d kidnapped Rama’s wife Sita). Diwali, like most major religious events are based on the lunar calendar (it always falls on a new moon) and falls usually between late October – mid November.

Sikhism‘s major event is ‘Guru Nanak Jayanti’ (Anniversary of the first ‘Guru’ or preacher of Sikhism, Nanak) who branched out of Hinduism to preach the relatively new faith, Sikhism, somewhere in the late 15th century. Sikhism’s faith is revolved around the teachings of 10 major ‘Gurus’ – the first being ‘Guru Nanak‘ and the last being ‘Guru Gobind’.

- Silverwater006

For Nichiren Buddhists who chant Nam myoho renge kyo, (which include people you would know such as Tina Turner, Orlando Bloom, Miranda Kerr, Herby Hancock, Patrick Duffy, Annie Lennox and the list goes on) – the main day to celebrate is New Year’s Day, marking the beginning of a new round of opportunities for turning poisons into medicine and contributing towards world peace -Kosen Rufu.

- C

This time of the year for Jews is the festival of Channukah/Hannukah (different variations of spelling) and we light the channukah candles each night for seven days representing the oil in the channukah story. We receive presents each day (8 days) however the meaning of channukah isn’t about present giving, it’s just become bigger and more commercialised in countries where Christianity is the majority. I usually get a small present each day. For instance a fifteen year old girl might receive something like this: 1st day – costume jewellery + channukah gelt, 2nd day – a pair of shoes, 3rd day – hello kitty stationary, 4th day – box of chocolates, 5th day – make up, 6th day – twilight book, 7th day – juno dvd, 8th day – Britney Spears CD.

- wikiUSMdawg

Regardless of religion, race or creed, we hope you have a wonderful festive season!

Caitlin
Community Manager