In New Zealand, Christmas festivities are celebrated during the summer holidays, just like in neighboring Australia.
During this time, a special majority of people prefer to camp at their holiday homes, popularly known as ‘Baches.’
The Excitement of Christmas
Many towns and urban settings across New Zealand have well-organized Santa parades that are largely characterized by decorated floats, marching teams, and bands.
These events commence in mid-November, and progress onwards to December.
They are enormously popular, as many people enjoy them. During summer, it is relatively warm, and Santa is oftentimes dressed in New Zealand sandals called ‘Jandals’.
In other instances, Santa substitutes his conventional red top with an ‘All Blacks’ New Zealand rugby jersey.
Santa is gifted with certain things such as beers and chunks; while children also commonly spare carrots for Santa’s reindeer.
Habitually, big stunning displays and Christmas light shows are set up to grace the special occasion. It happens in big towns such as:
- Hamilton
- Wellington
- Auckland
- Christchurch
Also, carol services are held throughout the country, including rural areas, villages, and small towns.
The Christmas Tree is Special
As is the case in most other places across the globe, many New Zealand residents install beautifully decorated Christmas Trees. It is characteristic of countries such as the USA and UK.
Kiwis have their unique Christmas tree, and it is called the ‘Pohutukawa.’ This tree may grow into a gigantic form.
It has brightly colored flowers that are utterly popular decorations featured even on many Christmas cards.
Historically, the tree links to Christmas festivities, dating back to the early 19th Century. It is also instrumental with the Maori traditional beliefs and grows particularly on the North Island.
Usually, flowering commences in mid-December to mid-January. When it begins early, the summer will relatively be hotter, and vice versa.
Christmas Lunch Feasts
To mark this special occasion, many New Zealand residents choose to have barbecues for lunch. It is increasingly becoming a widespread phenomenon.
The barbecue is mostly comprised of ham slices, venison and other kinds of exotic meat.
Also, fish such as shrimps and whitebait fritters are used to make barbecues.
Besides, New Zealanders love desserts. Many residents enjoy hot fruit puddings spiced with ice cream and custard, although cold desserts are also becoming tremendously popular.
The common deserts include:
- Crisp fruit salad
- Whipped cream jelly
- Meringues
- Ice cream
The people drink from a wide range, including alcoholic beverages. It is a synonymous tradition with most countries around the globe.
My caucuses in New Zealand have a penchant for an English-like Christmas meal in mid-Winter (June to July).
The meal will commonly be hot food like roast lamb, chicken, cold harm, and even hot roast vegetables like pumpkins, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Mid-Winter Christmas delicacies are fast becoming popular in entertainment joints such as clubs and hotels, and are an ideal way of spending valuable time together.
Christmas Presents
Similar to other places across the globe, Christmas is marked with various gifts. During this day, people gift their loved ones with beautiful presents.
They open them when the entire family is united together.
They wrap them in decorated festive paper and then place under the Christmas tree. The gift-opening session is customarily held just before the Christmas lunch.
One of the most popular presents on Christmas Day is ‘Jandals.’ They are standard flip-flop sandals, and the name is derived from a combination of two terms; ‘Japanese Sandals.’
The above kinds of footwear continue to be popular in New Zealand’s culture. It became popular around the late 1950s and early 1960s.
In the Maori dialect, Merry or Happy Christmas is stated as ‘Meri Kirihimete.’ It is interesting to know how people wish Happy or Merry Christmas in other languages.
Learn More With the Help of Video
Main Points About Christmas in New Zealand
- Christmas in New Zealand is warm; it comes in the middle of the summer.
- It is very common to have a Christmas tree in New Zealand; almost every family has a Christmas tree. There are elaborate Christmas decorations both on the interior and the exterior parts of buildings.
- On Christmas eve, the is a midnight mass is held to usher in Christmas day. Many families attend.
- It is very common to find a Christmas barbecue lunch in New Zealand. However, family meals are very unique to each family.
- Many Children in New Zealand, leave out carrots for Santa’s Reindeers when he comes visiting.
Conclusion
In New Zealand, just like in Australia, it’s summertime during Christmas, why parades might include floats and Santa might be wearing a sandal.
The kids leave carrots for the reindeer and if Santa is lucky he could be left a beer or pieces of pineapple.
The country has a few Christmas carols of their own and even their own kind of Christmas tree, ”Pohutukawa”, a large tree with red flowers also featured on Christmas cards.
Word Cloud for Christmas in New Zealand
The following is a collection of the most used terms in this article on Christmas in New Zealand. This should help in recalling related terms as used in this article at a later stage for you.
- https://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/countries/holidays/christmas/nzealand
- https://nzpocketguide.com/christmas-new-zealand/
- https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/kiwi-christmas
Last Updated : 24 November, 2023
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
While the unique Christmas traditions in New Zealand are interesting, I can’t help but wonder how the warm weather affects the festive mood. It must be quite different from colder climates.
Yes, it’s fascinating to see how different cultures celebrate Christmas in their own ways.
You bring up a good point, Connor. The warm weather definitely adds a unique touch to the holiday experience.
The idea of a mid-Winter Christmas meal in New Zealand is fascinating. It’s intriguing to see the various ways in which Christmas traditions are embraced.
The Pohutukawa Christmas tree sounds absolutely stunning. I’d love to experience the vibrant holiday displays in New Zealand someday.
Christmas in New Zealand seems to bring together a beautiful blend of traditional and contemporary aspects, creating a unique and festive atmosphere.
The concept of a Christmas barbecue lunch is intriguing. It’s great to learn about the variety of festive foods enjoyed in New Zealand. Sounds like a delicious way to celebrate!
The way Christmas is celebrated in New Zealand sounds so unique and exciting, especially with the barbecues for lunch and the special Pohutukawa Christmas tree! Can’t wait to experience that one day.
Definitely, the Christmas festivities in New Zealand have a special charm to them.
I agree, it’s such a refreshing take on Christmas traditions. The Pohutukawa tree is truly fascinating.
While the traditional Christmas celebrations in New Zealand are captivating, it’s also intriguing to see the influence of modern customs and international elements on the holiday.
The concept of leaving out carrots for Santa’s reindeer in New Zealand adds a charming touch to the holiday traditions. It’s a delightful way to involve children in the festive spirit.
The blend of traditional and modern Christmas celebrations in New Zealand makes for an interesting festive season. It’s great to see how the holiday is adapted to the local culture.
It’s impressive to witness how different regions put their own spin on Christmas celebrations.
Absolutely, the mix of old and new traditions adds a lot of character to Christmas in New Zealand.
The idea of having a Christmas barbecue lunch in New Zealand sounds wonderful. It’s a great way to celebrate the holiday in a warm climate.