Jeannette said the real family atmosphere created on the day has kept her coming back. With her extended family based in North Queensland, she has attended the celebration with her children or by herself, if her children were spending Christmas with other family members. 

In the church hall, she said everyone mingled, introduced themselves and shared a meal prepared by hardworking local volunteers. 

“They are like little elves – you never see them at it. You offer to help and they wave you away, tell you to go and enjoy yourself,” she said. 

“The kids can race around outside and every year you watch all the different families grow up.”

The Christmas Day lunch catered to everyone, from people with no family to full families with children, and even people whose families had come from out of town to visit them. 

There were games, music and fun and Jeannette said it was a great family time for everyone. 

“Everyone is mingling, pulling crackers and telling jokes,” she said. 

“It’s a great family time, even for people whose own experience of family was not great,” she said.

“Some people just join right in, others like to sit back and watch. It’s very relaxed – there’s no hassles. It’s just one big family without the usual hiccups, like who’s going to do the washing up.”

 The Christmas lunch at the Forster hall began in 1986 as the Parish recognised that, for many people, Christmas could be a very lonely time. It encouraged people to gather together and enjoy a relaxing Christmas celebration in good company.

“Some family Christmases, there is a lot of arguing and keeping the peace, and people fighting. There is none of that there,” Jeannette said. 

This year the hall (at the corner of Lake and Macintosh streets) will be opened from 11.30am and lunch will be served at 1pm. Organisers Greg and Lauranne Byrne have invited everyone to come along and share the day with other families, which in turn allowed everyone to share the joy, friendship and love that the Christmas season could bring.