~On the second day of Christmas, Australia gave to me~
As Matthew stood in the middle of the crowd in the square, watching the city's large Christmas tree be lit up, his eyes began to wander through the crowd and along the decorations. As he observed, something began welling up inside of him. He tried to contain it, but soon, he couldn't control himself.
He started laughing.
At first it was just a hastily suppressed snigger, but that only brought more until he was leaning on Robbo's shoulder, shaking with laughter.
The southern nation cocked an eyebrow at him, concerned. "You right there Mattie?"
Matthew took a few gasping breaths, trying to calm himself down. "S-sorry… I didn't mean to, really, it's just…" he paused to snigger again, managing to turn it into a cough, "…don't you realise how ridiculous this is?"
Robbo, for his part, barely batted an eyelid at this comment, settling instead for grinning a little at his companion. "An' just whaddya mean by that then?" he asked good-naturedly.
Matthew paused, taking in Robbo's unusual (but not unwelcome) reaction. "Well… you've got banners and posters full of snowflakes… lights in the shapes of snowmen and reindeer… and Santa Claus in full suit and hat – all in thirty degree heat! It doesn't even snow in this city in winter – barely anywhere in your whole land! Don't you think that's even a little silly?"
It was Robbo's turn to laughed, a full bellied roar, that made the nearby children in the crowd stare. Matthew joined them, thoroughly bemused.
"'Course it's silly! It's whacked! Crazy Pom brings his cold European traditions down here with him, and galah that I am I continue 'em! But," Robbed grinned again, "I am nothin' if not good at adaptin'. Take a butcher's over there." He said, pointing at another lights display. Matthew peered around his companion to look.
In the centre was a flashing gumtree, with a number of Australia's native animals around it. A koala sat in the branches, sporting a Santa hat. An emu wore tinsel around it's neck, and a wombat had a pair on reindeer antlers attached to it's head, accompanied by various others. Above the tree was Santa flying over in his sleigh, sunglasses over his eyes. The sleigh was being pulled, not by reindeer, but by half-a-dozen white kangaroos.
Matthew had never seen anything like it, and it started him laughing again, and Robbo joined him.
~Two pink galahs~
~And a kookaburra up a gum tree~