On the note of decorations, many decorations are the same as in the United States, however quite a few decorations also show Australian wildlife like the emu, kangaroo and koala.
From my time in Sydney thus far, I can say that many Australians are more passionate about Christmas than most other holidays on the calendar. I can imagine this is because Christmas is the only major holiday that falls in the last portion of the year. The Christmas spirit also shows up in how early many stores place Christmas items out on display and the number of specifically Christmas-themed stores the country has.
Due to the different times in which the seasons are experienced on the northern and southern hemispheres, the weather during the holidays tends to look different as well. In the United States, holidays such as Halloween and Christmas happen in the fall and winter. However, in Australia these same holidays happen during the spring and summer. This changes how people celebrate these holidays.
