Quick Overview: Christmas in Australia is a uniquely summery celebration, think blazing sunshine, seafood lunches, and family gatherings by the beach. Because the holiday falls in peak heat, Australian Christmas gifts look very different from the traditional Northern Hemisphere selections. Instead of heavy winter treats, Australians prefer practical, heat-friendly gifts like gourmet Christmas hampers, fresh summer flowers, and wine paired with easy, summery treats everyone actually wants in the heat
This guide breaks down how Australians exchange gifts, which gifts work in summer heat and offer delivery Australia-wide during the busy December period.
Christmas in Australia doesn’t look like the Northern Hemisphere postcards. No snow, no fireplaces, no rugged-up carolers. Instead, it’s 30+ degrees, backyard cricket, and cold seafood at 1 pm. Australians celebrate Christmas in full summer, which changes everything about how the holiday works – including what people give as gifts.
European settlers brought Christmas traditions to Australia in the late 1700s, but those traditions had to adapt fast. Roast turkey in December heat? That became cold ham and prawns. Hot mulled wine? Switched to chilled white wine or beer. Heavy fruit pudding? still happens, but now it’s served with ice cream, not custard. The gift-giving tradition stuck around, but what Australians give – and how they give it – evolved to match the climate and culture.
This guide covers what actually gets gifted during the Australian Christmas, why certain items work better than others in summer heat, and how to get your Christmas gifts delivered on time across the country.
How Australians Actually Give Christmas Gifts
Most Australian families exchange gifts on Christmas morning, but workplace Secret Santa and Kris Kringle happen in the weeks leading up to December 25th. Kris Kringle (the Australian term for Secret Santa) usually has a $20-$30 limit and happens at office Christmas parties in early-to-mid December. Family gifts tend to be bigger and get opened Christmas morning before heading to the beach or firing up the BBQ.
Australians also give Christmas gifts to people they see regularly but aren’t close to: neighbors, kids’ teachers, hairdressers, and postal workers. These are typically hampers, wine, or flowers – things that say “thanks for the year” without being too personal. The challenge with summer gifting is heat. Chocolates melt in cars, flowers wilt on doorsteps, and wine left in the sun turns to vinegar. Timing and delivery methods matter more in Australia than in cold-climate countries.
Christmas Wine Hampers: Australia’s Signature Gift
Australia is the world’s fifth-largest wine exporter, and wine gifting is embedded in Christmas culture here. The tradition goes back to the 1960s-70s when Australian winemakers started pushing premium bottles as Christmas gifts instead of the cheap flagons people usually bought. It worked. By the 1980s, giving wine at Christmas became standard for everyone from bosses to brothers-in-law.
December is also peak stone fruit season in Australia, which is why many Christmas wine hampers pair wine with summer produce like cherries, apricots, or grapes. The combination makes sense: fresh fruit and chilled wine suit Australian Christmas lunches better than heavy European-style gift baskets.
Bloomex Christmas Wine Hampers include Australian red, white, or sparkling wine paired with cheese, crackers, and chocolates. Hampers range from $75.95 to $242.95, depending on wine quality and extras. These ship in insulated packaging to handle the Australian heat during delivery. Order by December 21st for pre-Christmas arrival to regional areas, or December 23rd for metro same-day delivery.
Good for: clients, extended family, coworkers, anyone you’re buying for who drinks.
Christmas Flowers: Summer Blooms and Native Traditions
European Christmas flowers don’t survive Australian summers well. Holly, mistletoe, poinsettias – they’re all cold-climate plants that wilt in 35-degree heat. Australian florists switched to using native plants decades ago, and now Christmas Bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum) and Christmas Bells (Blandfordia nobilis) appear in festive arrangements alongside roses and lilies.
The Christmas Bush is a New South Wales native that turns bright red in December, which makes it perfect for Christmas décor. Indigenous Australians didn’t celebrate Christmas traditionally, but the Christmas Bush was used in ceremonies and later adopted into settler Christmas culture. Christmas Bells, native to NSW and Queensland, bloom yellow and red during summer and have become another iconic Australian Christmas flower.
Bloomex Christmas Flowers include traditional red and white arrangements, native Australian flowers, and designer collections with festive styling. Prices start at $19.95(single roses) with same-day delivery to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide when you order by 1 pm.
Christmas flowers work for: family gifts, sympathy/remembrance (Christmas is hard for people who’ve lost loved ones), thanking hosts, apologizing for missing Christmas lunch.
Christmas Hampers: The British Tradition That Stuck
Christmas hampers came to Australia with British settlers. Originally, hampers were charity baskets given to workers by wealthy employers in Victorian England – food and supplies to get through winter. In Australia, hampers lost the charity association and became premium gifts. By the mid-1900s, Australian department stores sold luxury Christmas hampers filled with imported goods: English biscuits, European chocolates, tinned delicacies.
Modern Australian Christmas hampers mix international and local products. You’ll see Lindt chocolates next to Tim Tams, Italian biscotti alongside Arnott’s Shapes, and French champagne paired with Australian sparkling wine. The variety reflects Australia’s multicultural Christmas – families blend traditions from different backgrounds into their own version of the holiday.
Bloomex Christmas Gourmet Baskets include sweet and savoury items: chocolates, nuts, crackers, cheese, cookies, and premium snacks. Hampers start at $XX and come in reusable wicker baskets or gift boxes. Items have a 3-4 week shelf life, so ordering early December for late December delivery works fine. These don’t require refrigeration and handle heat better than perishable gifts.
Christmas Gift Ideas by Recipient
Not sure what Christmas gift to send? Here are Christmas gift ideas based on who you’re buying for:
Christmas gift ideas for people who have everything: Gourmet hampers work because they’re consumable – nothing to store, nothing to clutter their house.
For distant relatives you barely know: Neutral flower arrangements or fruit hampers. Safe choices that don’t require knowing their taste.
For coworkers: Wine hampers or small gourmet baskets. Not too personal, but more thoughtful than a $20 Kris Kringle gift.
For elderly relatives: Fruit hampers or flower arrangements. Skip alcohol if they’re on medication. These also work if they live alone and can’t finish large hampers.
Christmas gift ideas for families with young kids: Sweet hampers or flower arrangements without fragile vases. Kids knock things over – choose gifts that can handle chaos.
Delivery in Australia: Prices & Timing
Bloomex offers flower delivery Australia-wide. Metro delivery (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide) qualifies for same-day service when you order by 1 pm; the delivery cost is $19.95. Standard delivery price is $14.95.
Order early for Christmas. December is our busiest month – delivery networks get congested, regional areas fill up fast, and same-day cutoffs get stricter. If you’re sending flower delivery Australia-wide (especially interstate or regional), order by December 19th. Metro areas have more flexibility, but December 21st is safer than waiting until December 23rd. Heat also matters – flowers sitting on delivery trucks in 35-degree weather for extra days won’t arrive fresh.