When we were in Kumasi, our English friends Joe and Denni complained that it didn't seem like Christmas as it was hot. Louise and I looked at each other - hot is normal. This highlighted the contrast between the European and Australian Christmases. Of course, here we seem to like to pretend that we are still in Europe. We eat ridiculous food for the season, and even in church, sing "In the Bleak Mid-winter while it is 35º outside. We send each other cards with snow scenes, light advent wreaths to remind us of the ending of the dark days of winter - the list goes on. And we feel guilty when we break these traditions. The number of people who seem to express the fact that they are compromising when they have a cold Christmas dinner, when it is perhaps the most sensible thing given our usual Christmas weather.

The problem with traditions is that they are just that, and take no account of the changed circumstances. Well, I was raised with the national self-image that saw us of temporary residents transplanted from Britain, forever looking to the mother country as home. And I accepted that without question. Rather strange really as on my mother's side, I am purely German descent as well as half on my father's.

Perhaps it has been appropriate for preceding generations to seek to hang on to past traditions as a reminder of their heritage. All my mother's grandparents came out from Germany and it was appropriate for her Christmas to reflect that, but what of her grandchildren what should their experience be?

As we approach the centenary of federation, I have been reflecting on the struggle that we face as a nation in terms of national identity and indeed in terms of discovering a satisfactory spirituality that is ours and not borrowed from European roots. To me, Australianising Christmas is part of this process. Not that we should throw away everything from elsewhere, but we should be open to the idea, that as a nation, there is a need to discover our own traditions for this season.

Did you know that the only truly Australian tradition is that of carols by candlelight? Sadly, it has been taken over by the commercial entities, who fear that getting too religious might put people off.

As Australians, there is a need for us to come to terms with Christmas in our own framework in our own way, to find our own traditions. At the Cressy School prize giving day, the choir sang a song "Deck the sheds with bits of wattle" - from Bucko and Champs. This was the first time that I had heard it, but it comes from a genre of music which include the good old Aussie Jingle Bells in which the images of the traditional Christmas have been Australianised. These generally tend to be fun songs drawing much of their effect, because of their contrast to the usual European norm.

Although I am usually a staunch advocate for making things Australian, I am not hugely impressed with this type of song, because rather than seeking to define a genuine Australian Christmas, they tend to Australianise a European one.

Principally, this is achieved by removing references to God and Jesus. A Christless Christmas ends up in the emptiness that so many feel at this time, and probably contributes to the sense of hopelessness that drives so many to suicide at this time of year. Rather Christ must meet us at Christmas in our own time and place. Not only here in the church building, but in our homes and places of work as well.

This is the true meaning of the incarnation, the coming of God as a human being, described in our Gospel reading. As Christians, we celebrate this event each Christmas, but as Australians, we must find the incarnation in our own culture. Jesus came as human to identify with all humanity and it is only as we perceive him in an Australian way that we can centre him in our Spirituality

As God's people, we are called to show leadership in this process. We are to help our nation discover an Aussie Christ, who comes to our culture and meets with us here. For until he is shown to be relevant, then it is to easy for us to locate him as part of the tradition, a quaint thing to remember but nothing to do with us here today. We need to introduce our fellow Australians to the manger in an Australian setting that may truly meet a Jesus who relates to them. This is our challenge as God's people in our community.

May Christ be incarnate in your life and may you discover God in that child in the manger and your Christmas be a time of blessing, hope and joy.