Happy Gravy Day!

Hello Dan, it’s Joe here, I hope you’re keeping well
It’s the 21st of December, and now they’re ringing the last bells
If I get good behaviour, I’ll be out of here by July
Won’t you kiss my kids on Christmas Day, please don’t let ’em cry for me

I guess the brothers are driving down from Queensland and Stella’s flying in from the coast
They say it’s gonna be a hundred degrees, even more maybe, but that won’t stop the roast
Who’s gonna make the gravy now? I bet it won’t taste the same
Just add flour, salt, a little red wine

And don’t forget a dollop of tomato sauce for sweetness and that extra tang
And give my love to Angus and to Frank and Dolly,
Tell ’em all I’m sorry I screwed up this time
And look after Rita, I’ll be thinking of her early Christmas morning

…

Tell her that I’m sorry, yeah I love her badly, tell ’em all I’m sorry,
And kiss the sleepy children for me
You know, one of these days, I’ll be making gravy,
I’ll be making plenty, I’m gonna pay ’em all back

How to Make Gravy. Paul Kelly

A single bottle of ketchup – err, tomato sauce – rests on the small round table in my classroom. Forgotten. Left behind. The only leftover from our Class Christmas party. Another school year’s end. The sausage rolls that came with it… long gone. As is the rest of the Christmas buffet. The students have left, their belongings, books, and bags cleared out – except for a lone hat left behind in one student’s box. Chairs neatly stacked on tables, walls stripped of posters and paintings, yet the snowflakes on the window remain, dreaming of a white Christmas that will never come. Oh, Australian Christmas! Or should I say Chrissy?

The other day, someone asked me about Christmas customs and traditions in Australia. I was tempted to give the stereotypical response of Surfing Santa, prawns on the barbie, and kangaroos pulling Santa’s sleigh… but truthfully, I haven’t witnessed any of these myself. What I’ve noticed is that Christmas Down Under isn’t much different from the Canadian Christmas. It’s just a bit more colourful, brighter, and, of course, hotter! Much hotter!

There are Christmas lights and beautifully decorated Christmas trees. Carols in the park. Family gatherings with too much food, too much drink, and too much money spent. Boxing Day is as much of a thing as are stockings and a big family dinner, minus the turkey – it’s ham here, or a roast, accompanied by gravy. Lots of gravy. Happy Gravy Day!

December 21. While the Northern Hemisphere quietly embraces the winter solstice, Australians not only welcome the longest day of the year but also celebrate Gravy Day! Although not yet officially recognized as a national holiday, “Gravy Day” has gained recognition in Australia through a song and various internet posts.

The story behind Gravy Day traces back to a 1996 song titled “How To Make Gravy” by the renowned Australian singer Paul Kelly. The song recounts the tale of a man in prison, expressing his longing to be with his family during Christmas. His touching letter, written on December 21 in the song, has become cherished and celebrated down here.

In the song, Joe, the letter’s fictional writer, reminisces about his family’s traditions: relatives visiting for Christmas, the lively gatherings, laughter and fights, dancing and love, and of course, the delicious food. The song even provides a simple recipe for gravy: “Just add flour, salt, and a little red wine.”

Songs are a great thing. They bring back memories, make you happy or sad, and get stuck in our heads – forever! (Just the other day, I realized I could still recall every word from every song in The Sound of Music. Don’t judge me—there’s a story behind it, one that involves Easter Sunday in 1986, watching VHS videos in reverse, singing along, and suddenly realizing I had the exact same hairstyle as Julie Andrews. Maybe one day, I’ll write about that.)

Songs not only give us other perspectives but also allow us to relate to different experiences. Christmas songs especially! Who hasn’t fallen in love in snow-covered mountains, looking gorgeous like George, only to be dumped right after like a load of heavy snowfall? Who hasn’t worn a sexy red bodysuit in freezing winter snow, reminiscent of Mariah? Or spent Christmas Eve in New York City, getting arrested by hot Matt Dillon in a uniform? (Rest in peace, dear Shane MacGowan. Remember the time we drove for hours to hear you sing in Stuttgart. And ended up in a construction site on the Autobahn in the middle of the night?) No seriously, good songs not only remind us of what we’ve been through but also help us understand others’ feelings, bringing us closer together by finding what we have in common. Songs make us feel like someone else gets us.

At first glance, How to Make Gravy, is a song that offers the simple ingredients to a happy Australian Christmas (or any Christmas, really): Happy Christmas! Just add family and friends, good times and great food. That is the obvious message—a certain idea we have of what Christmas is and what Christmas should be; our perception of Christmas—a happy time, a time spent with others, lots of presents, laughter, and cheer. Add sunshine and the beach when you are celebrating Down Under.

And Christmas in Australia may be all that. And to a certain extent, it is to me as well. I’ve got my own little (somewhat pathetic) tree with lovely wrapped gifts underneath, Christmas parties, and dinners to attend, and maybe even a few prawns. School is out, so I get to relax and enjoy the beach, the sunshine, and the ocean (though I have not seen Santa surfing yet).

However, there’s more to it. It’s about the nostalgia for times long gone. (I must confess, I miss our Christmas tree in Toronto—fresh, green, slightly crooked, adorned with ornaments the kids crafted in school years ago, and even real wax candles, much to our neighbours’ grief that our house might burn down! And there’s as well!) There’s also a sense of loneliness that comes with being apart while the family gathers thousands of kilometres away. It brings about a feeling of guilt for not being there. Yet, amidst these emotions, there’s an overwhelming excitement for when the family can finally reunite and celebrate Christmas together. Though it might look different from before (definitely brighter)and feel different (certainly warmer), it might create a new set of Christmas traditions.

So, if you ask me what Christmas is like in Australia, I can’t really say. I can only say what it feels like to me: Just like Joe in the song, I’m super excited to be with my family for Christmas. I can’t wait to pick them up from the airport on December 24. And I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas with them, Aussie-style: the beach, sunshine, presents, and, of course, a delicious Christmas dinner. Maybe we’ll cook some prawns on the barbie (although, I hear, you had to pre-order them) or have a ham. But definitely lots of gravy. With tomato sauce – not ketchup!

Happy Christmas! With lots of gravy! ❤️