The ‘bizarre’ Aussie Christmas tradition confusing Americans

A scene in Bluey has left US fans scratching their heads, but Aussies had no idea it was a unique ritual.

American fans of the cartoon show Bluey have been left baffled after watching an episode that features a uniquely Australian Christmas tradition.

A fan posted to the r/Australia forum on Reddit, sharing a screenshot from the Adult Bluey Fans Facebook group.

The image showed a scene from the “Christmas Swim” episode, where the family of dogs sits around a table enjoying a festive lunch while wearing colourful paper crowns.

The fan asked, “What are the hats they wear, and what do they signify?”

The Redditor added, “Apparently, the rest of the world doesn’t do paper crowns at Christmas.”

The hats in question are the paper crowns commonly found inside Christmas crackers, which also contain a small toy and a corny joke.

Christmas crackers get their name from the sound they make when pulled apart, as they have a strip inside that produces a small explosive charge.

People pull each end of the cracker until it pops open, creating a cracking sound.

A scene in Bluey has confused Americans. Picture: Reddit

The person holding the section still attached to the inner chamber gets to keep all the goodies inside, including the crown, which is worn for the rest of the meal.

Howver, it seems, this tradition isn’t practised in the United States.

One commenter explained, “It’s a British Commonwealth thing. They appear in some of the Harry Potter Christmas scenes, for example.”

Another replied, “I just asked a Canadian, and they assured me they have crackers and paper hats and knew what I was talking about.”

A Kiwi chimed in, “New Zealand does it too.”

One commenter jokingly asked, “How do Americans enjoy life without bonbons?”

U.S. fans didn’t know what the paper hats that come in Christmas crackers were. Picture: Reddit

Another quipped, “They’re missing out on all the bad jokes.”

A different user joked, “Weird … bonbons feel like they’d be very American. Makes a loud bang, cheap plastic crap inside, single-use and disposable.”

Then, one user posed a worrying theory: “Next minute, the Bluey episode is solely responsible for a worldwide bonbon shortage due to unprecedented must-have FOMO demand from the U.S. market.”

Another added, “It would be interesting to know how many U.S. households are trying to find bonbons to celebrate like Bluey’s family. There would definitely be a market for Bluey-themed Christmas bonbons.”

Americans stumped over a different Bluey episode

This isn’t the first time Bluey has left Americans scratching their heads.

Last year, a clip went viral showing how Bluey’s sister pronounced the word “airport.”

She said, “Airport, I’m not going to the airport,” but Americans heard it as “ehpowt” and appeared genuinely confused by her pronunciation.

The clip sparked a social media trend where Americans attempted to pronounce “airport” in an Australian accent.

Hundreds shared videos of themselves mimicking the sound, with one TikToker saying that the way Bingo pronounces “airport” is “itching our brains for free.”

Another pointed out, “Clearly, Americans say ‘EHPOWT’; it’s just her damn voice.”