Christmas Time
How do you know that Christmas is in the air? What is it that gives you that festive feeling? For me and my family, having grown up on Noongar country, it’s sight of the Moodjar trees in bloom.
The Moodjar tree (or as its is often known – the Christmas Tree) is a distinctive and uniquely West Australian plant. It lights up the landscape with its dazzling blooms and the burnt orange of the Moodjar tree lets us all know that the season of Birak has arrived.
Birak is the First Summer or the Season of the Young. It is getting hotter, and the rain begins the ease. There are many fledglings leaving the nest and baby frogs completing their metamorphosis.
This time of year is traditionally the time for burning and is also known as the fire season. The reliable easterly winds in the morning and the afternoon sea breezes allowed Noongar people to practice land management through burning. Fuel reduction, increases in grazing land, and seed germination were amongst the many reasons that this particular form of land management was practiced.
Nothing gives me a feeling of the festive season more than the start of Birak and the sight of Moodjar in bloom. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
Christmas Books
Cat and Dog eat Christmas / Jonathan Bentley. | Cockburn Libraries (spydus.com)
A fun addition to the Cat and Dog series by Jonathan Bentley, this time Cat and Dog ruin Christmas.
What could possibly go wrong when a grumpy old cat and teeny tiny dog are left home alone on Christmas eve? EVERYTHING – that’s what!
How will Santa react to this carnage? Will Cat and Dog still get a present?
This is a fun Christmas tale that will have your young one laughing at the antics of the titular characters.
Bluey : 12 days of Christmas | Cockburn Libraries (spydus.com)
This delightful board book puts a uniquely “Bluey” twist on the traditional carol.
Rather than boasting about all the gifts sent by the “true love”, this Bluey version has Veranda Santa delivering gifts straight from the popular television series.
With a distinct Australiana feel, Verdanda Santa delivers yabbies, magpies, bin chickens, and lizards.
I can already hear kids singing the refrain “5 DOLLARBUCKS!” A charming Christmas read for Bluey fans
Little Bilby’s Aussie bush Christmas / Yvonne Mes & Jody Pratt. | Cockburn Libraries (spydus.com)
This is a cute Australian Christmas tale that has the Bilby band travelling across the land collecting decorations from their friends along the way.
With the goal of transforming the Aussie Bush into a Christmas Wonderland, the Bilbies meet Lizard, Emu, and Wombat on their travels.
This story is told with a lovely rhythmic style and the illustrations are just oozing joy.
A gorgeous book for Christmas and it even has bonus activities at the end.
My favourite singing my favourite!
Christmas Craft
Natural Tree Ornaments
Get outdoors and collect twigs and other fallen bits like gumnuts or leaves to make your own gorgeous natural tree ornaments.
What you’ll need:
Twigs, gumnuts, leaves…
Hot glue gun
String
What to do:
Have your little one arrange the twigs and other bits into the shape that they would like and then (an adult) use the hot glue gun to fix the pieces in place.
Add a piece of string to the top to hang
