Carols by Candlelight - Cairns
 

We will be visiting Cairns this Christmas and have heard of a tradition down under of Carols by Candlelight. Where and when does this happen in Cairns? Thanks.

It is a wonderful tradition and usually happens the week before Christmas. Am not sure about the location in Cairns but I would imagine it is in a park in the centre of the city. In Townsville is in a park on the Strand and is magical looking out to Magnetic Island and the Coral Sea. Go to http://www.tropicalaustralia.com.au/ and look up the Events section. They will put the dates in from July onwards.

Are you going to have a tropical Christmas? Bring plenty of mozzie protection and dont worry about the humidity!

According to this website there will be Carols by Candlelight in Cairns on December 14, 2004:

http://www.visitcairns.com.au/Events%20Calender.htm

The same Google search that unearthed that website revealed that in previous years carol singing events have been held in Port Douglas and Palm Cove on Christmas Eve, so I would expect that tradition to continue.

The Port Douglas version sounds like the simple one I know and love. The Palm Cove one called itself a Carols Parade (involving Santa on a horsedrawn sleigh with bells and other trappings).

The beauty of the traditional Carols by Candlelight, to my taste, is its simplicity.

Last year the closest Carols by Candlelight to where I live was in Freshwater (no Santa and his trappings) about 10 km north of the city. Am sure there'll be others - just check the local newspaper when you're here. For a tropical small city, Cairns can get quite carried away with yule-tide fervour - many homes are decorated to the point where they'd rival the Griswolds - just slightly bizarre in the tropics. The newspaper will also publish a guide showing where they are.

Pat - and are there some diehard traditionalists who celebrate Christmas Day with a huge hot roast and Christmas pudding (gaaghhh...)

For American readers - in the absence of Thanksgiving, we sacrifice the turkeys for Christmas day, although cold seafood is gaining in popularity (as can be seen by the hair-raising price of prawns, etc., just before Christmas). Also note that the day after Christmas (Boxing Day) is always a public holiday.