Jerzy, yes, it's the same in Australia, except different foods. Christmas here usually comes with a heat wave, so food is often light (salads, icecream cake, prawns, oysters, cold meats, pavlova). We still eat a lot of it. It's also the season for cherries and berries, so we eat a lot of those too, as well as Christmas cake and shortbread. We may have a barbecue, either at home or on the beach, and Santa turns up in boardshorts and thong sandals, because otherwise he'd die of heatstroke in heavy robes. I have seen Santa arrive on a surfboard in Sydney, but out here in the bush it's more traditionally in the back of a ute, or in small towns like mine Santa arrives on the back of the local firetruck during the town street parade.
We also go in for light displays, though those are not my favourite thing - I like my summer nights quiet and full of wildlife, which is scared off by all the flashies and noise, and the displays can be quite loud and vulgar sometimes. Though one near my house has a softly glowing tree and waterfalls of silver stars which are quite pretty. Another house has a sweet nativity scene set up in their front garden, outlined in tiny lights. But then there is the nearby two-storey house which has a much-larger-than-life roof decoration of Santa's sleigh drawn by six kangaroos, which stretches the length of the roof and has the lights cycling so that the figures look animated - Santa waves, the roos jump, the sleigh goes up and down. And this whole mess is accompanied by a loud recording of vulgar American-style 'carols' - Rudolph and the like. Urgh. Fortunately his house is across the road from the showground, so only his either-side neighbours have to suffer the full effect. I'm glad I live several streets away on the edge of town!
I'm very glad I don't live in Lobethal, a town in my region which is world-famous for its Christmas lightshows, and attracts tourists from across the planet. I can't do links, but if you google 'Lobethal Lights' you might find it interesting.
