Australian Slang For Christmas (Explained!)

Australians most often refer to Christmas as “Chrissie” or “Chrissy”. This is by far the most uniquely Australian and widely used slang term in Australia for Christmas. Many other more generic slang terms are also used in Australia for Christmas such as “Xmas,” “prezzie” for Christmas presents or “merry Christmas”.

Christmas is something few of us can escape in the western world, however, we might feel about it.

Out of that tends to arise a lot of regional slang for all the different conventions, traditions, and ceremonies that might be held at this time of year.

This is just as true in Australia as it is anywhere else, so let’s take a look at some of the slang terms for and surrounding Christmas in Australia.

In This Article

What do Australians call Christmas?

The most common Australian slang term for Christmas is “Chrissie”.

This one is more or less universally used in Australia. It’s not geographically limited, so it is not regional and you’ll be just as likely to hear it one place in Australia as in any other.

On the other hand, though it’s a fairly old slang term, it’s well established enough that it has been fully picked up by younger generations.

So, whether you’re talking to a young person or an older person, whether you’re in Queensland or New South Wales, “Chrissie” is the most common and likely slang term for Christmas.

“Do you think she’ll be home for Chrissie this year?” for example.

So, this is really the number one term you’ll need for describing Christmas in general.

However, there are other terms that mean Christmas and other peripheral slang terms which are widely used.

There are a few generic English speaking slang terms for Christmas that are well-known in Australia.

The universal “Xmas” is often used, though this one is much more often written down than said out loud.

“Crimbo” is another common one that you will certainly hear in Australia, particularly among the younger generations.

Most will understand this one even if they don’t use it.

There are a variety of slang terms surrounding Christmas which are important to be aware of. Christmas presents are often referred to as “prezzies” or sometimes even “Chrissie prezzies” for the full effect.

Traditional words like “yule” are sometimes used in a semi-humorous way to refer to Christmas in Australia.

Because Christmas occurs during the Australian summer, the word “barbie” meaning barbecue is also very important to Australian Christmas.

Christmas tradition in Australia typically involves a barbecue!

Let’s look at where these terms come from.

Why do Australians say “Chrissie”?

It’s a very common convention in Australian slang to get a slang term by simply shortening down a word and altering the sound of the ending syllable.

The most common way of doing this is by shortening down to a single syllable and then adding an –Y sound as the next syllable.

Such is the case with “Chrissie”.

You take the word “Christmas”, and you shorten it down to form “Chrissie” by changing the sound of the ending.

Beyond this, it’s very hard to say with any certainty when or where this particular slang term first arose.

It’s probably fairly old, Christmas has always been celebrated by settlers in Australia, but it’s probably not quite as old as the first settlers.

It most likely arose sometime in the 20^th Century, but again, it’s very hard to be sure.

Why do Australians say “Xmas”?

Xmas is a very common abbreviation for Christmas in the English speaking world and it is just as common in Australia.

It was first used in English as far back as the 16^th Century and perhaps even earlier.

This is because the English letter X is identical in form, though not in sound, to the Greek letter we call chi.

Thus, X is very often used as a stand-in for ch- sounds.

Again, it was probably adopted in Australia very early given that European settlers would already have been using the term when they first arrived.

So, in other words, it’s been in use ever since Australia as we know it has existed, in all likelihood.

Why do Australians say “prezzie”?

“Prezzie” is a very common slang term you’ll hear during Australian Christmas which refers to Christmas presents.

As you can probably guess, the way this word is formed is more or less identical to “Chrissie” itself.

You simply shorten the word down and change the final sound to a –y sound, although you also change the consonant in this slang term.

Again, it’s very hard to say when this term first came into use but it certainly seems to be relatively recent.

What else do Australians call Christmas?

As mentioned, one other slang term you may hear Australians call Christmas is “Crimbo”.

This one is widely used in Britain, too, and spread to Australia through the shared culture with the British.

It’s older than most think, though—the OED cites its appearance in 1928 as the first time it was used in print.

It was then popularized by various media such as Beatles’ songs and the 2000s television show Bo Selecta.

“Chrissie”, then, is really the number one most important term you need to know to get through an Australian Christmas.

Everyone of all ages will be using it far more than they use the full term “Christmas”.

That said, many Australians do use other, more widely used terms such as “Xmas”, or even “Crimbo”.

Armed with these terms you will get by just fine in Australia during the holidays.

More in Australian Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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