It's one of three days the 79 crew members at Davis Station get off each year so no small effort would be made to celebrate Christmas in the Antarctic, with quad bikes donning antlers, 'simulated' night time and a debate on the official Christmas movie coming down to the wire.
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Station leader Kirsten Le Mar giggled on Thursday morning as she revealed top secret plans she'd made for Christmas, seeming to buoyantly take to her recent November-posting to the base she'd call home for the next twelve months.
"It's a bit bittersweet in a way because you do miss your family, especially because of the time of year," Ms Le Mar said.
The tight community on base, modern communications and a passion for your work meant you didn't feel isolated.
"Everyone's so grateful and feels so privileged to be here," Ms Le Mar said.
She said Davis Station wasn't a pretty base, looking like a dirt-laden mining town but with picturesque views, nestled in the Vestfold Hills overlooking the icebergs in Prydz Bay.
While the base enjoyed a relatively balmy 6C on Thursday, the forecast is looking a bit colder for Sunday but still the regular 'highs' meant the base had the nickname, 'Riviera of the South'.
One of the best gifts to come on Christmas for the crew will be a sleep in, as crew normally started at 7:30am, followed by a prepared breakfast of eggs benedict and pastries by one of the station's cooks originally trained as a pastry chef.
Then Santa, actually the station's communications officer in costume, would arrive in the red rescue, Hägglunds all terrain-vehicle, aka the hag, to deliver Christmas presents.
"He'll be flanked by the reindeer, which are quad bikes with antlers," Ms Le Mar said.
"It's full on."
While Christmas dinner was expected to be a buffet, what was really special was the blinds would be drawn to simulate a fancy evening dinner with everyone in their best clothes.
"It's so unusual to be sitting in a darkened room with candles," Ms Le Mar said.
"You don't think it would make a difference but because you're in 24 hour daylight it suddenly has a physiological reason where you think you're going out to dinner."
"We're trying to be classy this Christmas."
But there are the usual festivities too, the cards sent to the other Australian or international bases, the phone calls to mum and dad, Kris Kringle and the light-hearted ribbing over where to put Christmas decorations.
