We all know the stereotypical Christmas on the beach, but if anyone knows that isn't typical of a lot of Australians, it's Canberrans.

What is typical, however, is that Australians get the day off to celebrate some festive cheer with family and friends.

But how about those who don't get December 25 off? What does Christmas look like for them?

We talked to people from around the Canberra region to see what working on Christmas Day looks like for them.

Geoff Morris is unsure whether he'll be able to enjoy a cold beer on Christmas Day. As the captain of the Wallaroo Rural Fire Service brigade, he'll have to wait to see what the conditions are like on December 25 before he can allow himself that little luxury.

"If there's a total fire ban we'll have a few people at the station ready to roll if things go bad, but hopefully we'll all be able to spend time with friends and family," says Morris, who has been an RFS member for more than 20 years.

"If we have to have people based at the station on the day, we'll try and rotate it so everyone gets some time at home over the course of Christmas Day."

He's hoping things are different from last Christmas. While their little patch to the north of Canberra was safe, members of the brigade spent summer fighting fires wherever they were needed. They helped at one of the first fires of the season, the Bees Nest fire around Dorrigo in northern NSW in September, and by February were still involved in the late stages of the Currowan fire which ravaged areas closer to Canberra and the South Coast.

"We were at the fires constantly last summer, organising crews to go away, we had a bus going down to the coast pretty much every day at one point, taking people down," he says.

"We pretty much started up at Dorrigo and worked out way down the coast over the summer."

Morris was lucky enough to have Christmas Day at home last year, but some members of the crew were away.

"It's what we do, we'll help wherever we are needed," he says.

He said the main worry out at Wallaroo this year was the chance of grass fires.

"There's so much grass compared to last year which is drying out at the moment, that's what we're keeping an eye on," he says.

"Grass fires can spread at a very fast rate so we're being very cautious about that."

He said the brigade always attracted new members given its proximity to Canberra and commitment to training.

"But this year we've seen a good increase in numbers, the fires highlighted the good work the RFS does and more people are stepping up to do their bit."

He hopes Santa brings him a quiet day without any emergencies.

"It would be nice to be able to have a relaxing day with the family, not have to worry about any fires, or have to call the team away from their own Christmas celebrations," he says.

Donkeys have been part of Christmas ever since Mary rode one into Bethlehem. But what does a Christmas with donkeys look like in 2020?

If anyone should know it's Joan Young. She has had donkeys around for Christmas for two decades now.

Young owns JOY Miniature Donkeys, in New South Wales' Bellmount Forest, about 50 kilometres outside Canberra.

The breeder can't tell you how many donkeys she has - she's lost count and besides, she says "it's like telling someone your age - there's a certain point where it just gets embarrassing".

But at 120 acres, JOY Miniature Donkeys is the largest miniature donkey breeder in Australia, which means there are a lot of mouths to feed come Christmas Day.

The thing about having 120 acres filled with - needless to say, adorable - donkeys, is that the work doesn't stop for Christmas. The donkeys still need to be fed and there is a chance this year there may even be a new addition or two to the JOY Miniature Donkey family with two donkeys expected to have foals in the next couple of weeks, and another one expected to give birth in the weeks following Christmas.

"It's the normal cycle of breeding for us," Young says.

"I do try to stop breeding over the warmer months because if the baby is born 12 months later, I try to avoid having foals being born in December, January and February. It's just too hot.

"The problem is that you can't control when they get pregnant. So you might make them in October or September, but then they might not actually conceive until later."

But whether there are newborn foals or not, there will always be donkeys to look after on Christmas Day.

It's part of the reason Christmas lunch is held at Young's house. It means in between Christmas activities she can go out on her buggy and feed the donkeys - each of which she, impressively, knows the name of.

If it were any other year, the donkeys would be in the midst of a busy December, with churches and community groups inviting the donkeys out to play a starring role in nativity scenes.

Young says it's something that happens every Christmas and Easter, but COVID has put a dampener on this year's events.

She is, however, hoping to be able to organise a donkey visit to an aged care facility.

"I recently lost my mum, who had dementia, and she lived with us until the end," Ms Young says.

"My thought was one thing I could do would be to take a nice quiet donkey or two to some aged care facilities. Those are people who can't have pets and it's something for them to look forward to."

Christmas is tough enough when your family is back in Ireland, and a global pandemic means flying home is simply not an option.

It becomes even harder when you're a jockey with a full book of rides on Boxing Day - like Queanbeyan apprentice Ellen Hennessy.

The local hoop hails from County Kildare, south west of Dublin, and spent time in Sydney, Melbourne and Braidwood before settling into Queanbeyan where she rides for leading trainer Joe Cleary.

In a sport where weight-watching is paramount, Hennessy can't afford to overindulge at Christmas lunch.

"You do limit yourself a bit, seeing as you have to ride the next day," Hennessy says.

"I'm not too bad. I'm down to claiming one-and-a-half [kilograms] now, I don't really struggle with my weight.

"I do keep an eye on it, maybe just have one potato instead of two on Christmas Day.

"I miss my family and I would love to be home for Christmas but it's just one of those things. It's bad luck, COVID, but thankfully all my family are safe and healthy and it's calming down over here so it's pretty good.

"I've been here just over four years now. I've only been home the once, Christmas two years ago."

Hennessy joined in with the Clearys last Christmas, settling in with Joe's parents', Frank and Sue.

"They've been nothing but homely and taken me in under their wing, it's really great to have the second family and a bit of support," Hennessy says.

"Sue cooked up a beautiful feed and had us all round."

But before heading around to Christmas lunch this year, Hennessy will be up at the crack of dawn to work Cleary's horses and make sure they were in top shape for Queanbeyan's annual Boxing Day meeting.

"We'll still come in and ride a few," Hennessy says.

"We'll probably come in a bit later on Christmas Day, usually we start about half-five, quarter-to-six or so but maybe leave it til half-six on Christmas Day."

As for having a drink at Christmas?

"You start early and go to bed early I think is the trick to it," Hennessy says with a twinkle in her Irish eyes.

"You do limit yourself a bit, seeing as you have to ride the next day. Other than that you can still enjoy yourself."

As a nurse, Belinda Skuja has worked her fair share of Christmas Days.

"I didn't have children until I was much older, so I would work Christmas and then have New Year's Eve off to have a bit of fun, that was the trade-off," she said.

Her Latvian heritage also means her family has its big celebration on Christmas Eve, something she is looking forward to enjoying with her daughters, now aged 12 and 14. The family cooks up a feast of roast pork and crackling with sauerkraut and special gravy, made from their grandparents' recipe. Everyone at the celebration also says a little poem or sings a song in gratitude for the gifts they receive.

"So we'll have a very large family gathering of about 30 people on Christmas Eve as we do every year and my girls will attend that with me," Belinda says.

"They'll then go to their dad's after that gathering later that evening so they'll be with their dad on Christmas Day and I'll be with my colleagues and patients."

Belinda will be working the afternoon shift at the Walk-In Centre at Gungahlin on Christmas Day, expecting some typical Christmas Day kind of injuries and ailments, including kids coming off a brand-new skateboard or trampoline.

"You'll get the typical burns from maybe in the kitchen, you'll probably get some lacerations and also definitely wound dressings because the community nurses who usually do the daily would dressings for people won't be working so they are referred to us," she says.

She and her colleagues dress up in a little festive jewellery or headband and bring special food in for a Christmas lunch. Belinda is planning to contribute salmon that she has smoked herself.

"We'll just write up a list [of things to bring] and all celebrate in between seeing our patients," she says.

"Last year, one of the ladies living in a nearby apartment block in Gungahlin could see that we were working on Christmas Day and she came down and said, 'I just wanted to say Merry Christmas' and brought us a box of chocolates.

"We'll have some patients who will be really appreciative that you're working on Christmas Day and others who won't even register that it's Christmas Day and that you are working."

It is a good way to work, in the main, because there is a different spirit about the place.

"To be honest, I've always thought working on Christmas Day has been fun," she says.

"We'll make it as festive as we can. The Canberra Hospital Foundation also makes it great, in the past providing gifts to give out to the children who come in."

There is also a sense of camaraderie among the staff.

"For sure. One of the other staff here is a Muslim and she always volunteers to work on Christmas because it's not her celebration. But we're always very respectful of each other," she says.

A nurse for more than 30 years, Belinda worked at the Canberra Hospital even when it was the Woden Valley Hospital. She feels being at the walk-in centre is the "creme de la creme of nursing in Canberra". "It's a fantastic job," she says.

Working there on Christmas Day was no burden, especially if it also helped to fill up the day if she couldn't be with her daughters.

"What am I going to do sitting at home? I'd rather be somewhere where I can help and have some fun," she says.

And, yes, she does have New Year's Eve off, ready to say goodbye to 2020 in style.