A KIWI CHRISTMAS

HARI KIRIHIMETE
(Merry Christmas in Maori)

Welcome to A New Zealand (KIWI) Christmas Page
On this page I hope to share with you a few of our traditions recipes and a couple of kiwi christmas songs.
RONGO KOA MA AROHA
Peace joy and love from our family to yours.

To the left is a picture of the New Zealand
Christmas Tree. It is called the Pohutakawa Tree. Maori legend says that if this tree flowers before Christmas we will have a long hot summer.One of the most beautiful sights as we head into christmas is the bright red flowers on the Pohutakawa tree all along the coast line.

Christmas in New Zealand," How bizzare," I hear you say, sand in your roast potatoes and seawater on your drumsticks,well to be honest it's not quite like that. But it is usually very hot and it is summer, so not many people have the Traditional Roast Turkey with all the trimmings.What we do have is usually a mixture of old and new. We do have a turkey but it's usually cold. intead of lots of hot vegetables we have salads. and instead of the traditional plum pudding we have cold desserts like the famous NZ Pavlova( DO NOT BELIEVE THE AUSTRALIANS WE INVENTED IT!!!!!!) summer pudding and icecream plum pudding .Many families have Barbeques, for a few years Tony and I used a spit over the barbeque for a roast Christmas Dinner. It is just too hot to have an oven on in the house.
Christmas means all the traditional things to kiwi's but it also is the beginning of the Summer Holidays. The children finish their school year mid-december ,so are looking forward to a 6 week holiday and the excitement of Christmas. A lot of Kiwi's head off on Xmas Eve to their holiday beach homes for a 3-4 week break of sun sand and sea.
The one thing that makes me realize that our Christmas is differant from elsewhere in the western world is the sweating Santa's in the shopping malls at christmas picnic's in the parks and at the beaches. It has been known for Santa to arrive at the beach in a speedboat or helicopter. One thing that is the same the world over is the excitement that swells in the children like a tidlewave as Xmas Eve gets closer (how many more chocolates are left in the Advent Calender? They melt and so do the chocolate tree decorations) The poor little creatures try so hard to get to sleep before Santa comes which is very very hard, when it is very hot and bright sunshine outside untl 9pm . Try getting a child to sleep under those conditions.

LINKS

Click on the music notes to hear and sing along to the 12 Days of Christmas (NZ Version)

Click on the Semi- Quaver to hear New Zealand's beautiful christmas song Te Harinui

Click on the Pavlova for NZ Christmas recipes

Click on the Marching Kiwi To go to the Santa Parade for Auckland City. Danny will be dancing at the after parade show

Click on the picture of the Christmas tree to see a live view of one of the worlds largest living christmas trees in "Aotea Square" in Auckland City. It has over 7,000 lights. Remember if you want to see it lit. Nz is 13hrs+ gmt

The Sky Tower is lit like this during the Christmas season. Click on it for a live update to see what the weather is like in Auckland.
(To see Auckland Use Devonport Cam)