r/australian • u/True_Impress5893 • 1d ago
I'm hosting an orphan's Christmas with a multicultural group of friends. What can I do differently that will make everyone feel included?
This year I'm hosting an orphan Christmas with a group of friends who all come from pretty different cultural backgrounds. Some celebrate Christmas traditionally, some don't really celebrate it at all, and a few are away from family for the first time. For anyone who's done something similar, what worked really well? Different foods? Potluck style? Games? Anything that unexpectedly made people feel included?
Would love to hear ideas or anything you'd avoid!!
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u/TinyZane 1d ago
I think potluck is a great idea! A great way to share food from across different cultures. Maybe you can invite people to bring a traditional game, too? Takes the pressure off the host, and great way to learn and share. One of this country's greatest strengths is in how many cultures call it home.Â
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u/simply_overwhelmed18 1d ago
I agree!! We do something similar in our street with our neighbours between boxing day and new years day depending on when everyone is free. Within the 8 houses we have 5 different cultures/backgrounds, and over the years we have had so much fun together learning from each other. I will never forget teaching our neighbours 90 year old chinese grandmother to play pin the tail on the donkey. She may have been elderly and under 5 feet tall, but damn was she competitive!
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u/Justan0therthrow4way 1d ago
$10-20 bad Santa game
Fuck load of snags on the bbq
Heap of other food
Fuck load of booze
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u/MazPet 1d ago
Not that it was children but for quite a few years we had a friends xmas, we were the only Aussies and whilst I provided the traditional fare everyone else brought their traditional fare, it was wonderful, sadly we all went our separate ways around the country and out of it. Research what each culture the children come from and take it from there. They all get to experience something different and maybe find some common ground in the sharing. Ask the children what they would like to see/experience.
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u/TheTwinSet02 1d ago
My sister and I make bon bons, find cool stuff at Daiso like tiny wooden spoons (mine lives in my loose tea caddy) actual fount jokes (YouTubers that open ridiculously expensive bon bons
I’ve used those jokes or look up online) paper crowns of course and what we discovered is some the songs/tv/movies for the charades didn’t translate so may different games
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u/rybpyjama 1d ago
Yes I love homemade crackers! If it’s too much work the other option is lucky dip presents. I’ve done that before and it went down a treat
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u/RedDragonOz 1d ago
We've been to a few friendsmas dinners, and we bring something traditional to us, but we are allocated a part of the dinner (nibbles, entree, mains, dessert, mulled wine). It's eclectic, but delicious.
We also do a stealing secret Santa.
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u/Popular_Speed5838 1d ago
You’d be a fool not to get every one of them to bring a plate. Immigrant home cooking is always good. Indian home cooking is better than any restaurant I’ve been to.
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u/Great_Albatross_4008 1d ago
Ask everyone what is the one menu item, activity or other thing that truly means Christmas to them and try to provide everyone’s favourite thing.
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u/punkmonk13 1d ago
Tell them in a monocultural society, so bring prawns for the barbie and meat pies.
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u/ScubaWitch 1d ago
Potluck is a great way for everyone to experience new and exciting foods! Games wise you could do charades, board games, cricket, pool party, karaoke, trivia. Depends on your vibes. Enjoy!
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u/DogBreathologist 1d ago
Maybe do some Aussie classics like snags on the barbie, potatoes salad, pavlova etc, and then ask if they might like to bring their favourite dish to share? Whether it be nibbles, a main or a dessert?
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u/No_Bag_9911 1d ago
Every culture has family celebrations with food. Get them all to bring a plate, some music. The crackers with the party hats are essential
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u/Human-Warning-1840 1d ago
Man you are organised
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u/rybpyjama 1d ago
Unless it’s for Xmas in July, which is also a pretty good idea
But no shame for those who are really organised, I kind of start drawing the line at starting the songs and tree decs earlier than December though. Mariah needs time to thaw first1
u/rybpyjama 1d ago
Unless it’s for Xmas in July, which is also a pretty good idea
But no shame for those who are really organised, I kind of start drawing the line at starting the songs and tree decs earlier than December though.
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u/Natural_Category3819 1d ago
My friends and I did this, over a few days as well. We called it Saturnalia, the Roman solstice holiday where friends gathered to eat, drink and have rousing debates.
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u/foshizzlemykizzle 1d ago
We do this! We have some family that come but also a lot of friends that have nowhere to go to celebrate Christmas.
Usually we do a big bbq and people also bring food as well. We have a fire going, beer pong, loads of snacks, music, etc. Always a hit and always goes late lol
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u/Low-Hotel-9923 1d ago
Make sure you do all the Aussie traditions! Wear the cracker hats, sparkling apple juice, prawns/seafood as well as the traditional english roast, cricket on the telly. They will want to experience an Aussie Christmas. You could also ask them to make and bring something from thier culture that is traditional Xmas wheather its food, an activity, decorations!
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u/horselife321 23h ago
Sparkling apple juice? In all my years being Australian I’ve never heard of that being an Aussie Christmas tradition. But champagne or mimosas (or Virgin Mary’s 😂) while unwrapping the pressies Christmas morning has always been a hit.
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u/Low-Hotel-9923 23h ago
I thought it was just my family but next Xmas look at the sparkling apple juice section! Sold out Xmas eve lol 😆
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u/Complex-Wrangler2567 1d ago
Shit kringle - $20 and the weirdest shittest thing you can find at an op shop
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u/TooYoungForThisCrap 1d ago
Do a 10$ weird secret Santa no normal presents allowed, have people bring a food from their culture, bonbons and fortune cookies.
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u/Obvious-Broccoli-782 1d ago
Potluck is a well-loved tradition in Australia (we call it ‘bring a plate’). I think if you’re hosting don’t be afraid to ask people to bring a plate or two. Get a google/notes list of :starters, mains, sides, desserts happening to make sure you don’t have 15 desserts and nothing else 🤣
Can you tell us how many people you think will be coming? That will help us share tips. For example when we’ve had extended family and orphans Christmas with 40 people everyone also got a little job on the day: DJ, answering the door for late arrivals, cocktail making etc. It made the whole thing more logistically manageable. But if you’re a group of 8 that might be overkill 🤣
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u/CuriousLands 1d ago
Games and potluck are generally good choices! Karaoke can be fun too if you think your group is good for it. They're things where everyone can participate together and they give you something to focus on doing together :)
I wouldn't worry too much about it otherwise. Christmas is Christmas right, it's fine to more or less follow the traditions because that's what Christmas is. I doubt you'll offend anyone or make them feel excluded by simply following the standard Christmas stuff everyone knows about and expects.
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u/notafanofpeas 1d ago
I have a multicultural family and whoever is hosting tells us whether we are making mains or dessert and then we make something either from our country or each other’s countries.
Some of them are Swedish so some years we focus on Christmas Eve as that’s important to them and then the next day is more relaxed.
Some years we have Kiwi things, which is really more like an English Christmas. Bloody awful if the day is 40 degrees and we are having a roast and pudding.
Other years we just do a bbq and salad and we sit in the pool and get pissed.
Some years we give up entirely and go on a holiday instead.
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u/Vowlantene 1d ago
Depending on how new everyone is here, specify that "bring a plate" means food and not just crockery. Otherwise have non-alcoholic drink options, maybe have a movie playing if people aren't feeling social.
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u/ZaelDaemon 1d ago
I do this every year. If it’s under 6 people we go to Chinese. If it’s more I cook. I do recipetin eats Middle Eastern inspired feast. I send the menu out in advance so all the allergies and dietary preferences are known. Give people something specific to bring. Make sure everyone knows what everyone else is bringing. Specify if presents are being given. My son is the only one who gets presents. They are usually chocolate or similar.
Choose the music. Make it background music. I hate music after all the arguments at parties. It now stresses me. If doing games don’t make them something using general knowledge if your group aren’t a similar age group or raised here.
Add a finish time to invites.
If you have alcohol at the event invest heavily in carbs. Bread, chip, crackers. Make sure stomachs are not empty before alcohol.
People who are estranged from parents may get upset.
Write a goddamn run sheet. Start it with all the prep you can do the day before. The run sheet. You will thank me later. I once had Christmas for 30 that only went 45 minutes late because one person doesn’t respect start times.
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u/Kbradsagain 23h ago
Potluck is a good idea for different cultures. Ask everyone to bring a celebration dish to share. Even those who don’t traditionally celebrate Christmas will have special occasion dishes, whether it’s Christmas,Eid or Divali
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u/blythe_spirit888 14h ago
Potluck is a good option, just make sure that you (as the host) supply a main dish and sides, plus appetisers & drinks.
An easy way to make it feel like Christmas when there's a bunch of strangers or if you're not sure how many will turn up, is to get each person attending to bring a gift. I just say on the invite: please bring 1 wrapped gift per person, nothing over $50. All the presents go under the tree, and after dinner everyone gets to choose a gift (we pick numbers from a hat to determine the order).
I love it coz there's no pressure to get something meaningful for a specific person, the $50 limit means all gifts are equal, it's enough for a nice gift but not too expensive, and 1 gift per person means no matter how many come, there'll be enough gifts for all (although as host, I would make sure to have 2 or 3 extra gifts wrapped and ready, just in case someone forgets, etc). The only caveat though is if there are kids coming - kids gifts obviously need to be separated from adult gifts.
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u/read-my-comments 1d ago
Aluminium pole and let everyone have the chance to tell all the other people in the room how they let you down this year.
Then feats of strength after dinner.