DIFFERENCES !

Bauble outside the Museum

How is Christmas different for us over here, with the New Zealanders?
Well, because we're on the other side of the world the weather is in reverse. It's warm and sunny (23F today) blue skies and the ocean warm enough to swim in..
Also, instead of the days getting shorter and darker, as they do in England, they get longer and lighter (dark at 9pm today)


Santa icon, outside the bookshop Whitcoulls

It means the foods we eat are more barbeques and salads, ice-creams and pavlovas, chilled Chardonnay and beer. at home you need those winter warmers, flaming Christmas puddings and hot mince pies. Brrrrr....we don't!


Santa at the Garden Centre

We also get our suntans at this time of year, out come the sunnies and the straw hats, bikinis are flaunted everywhere and more tattoos are revealed than at any other time of year. It's a good time to visit!
Another difference is that we have nine weeks Christmas holiday, whereas in the UK you have two weeks to celebrate the Christmas hols. It means the end of year exams are in November and the students can recover and get ready for the start of the new school year in February.


Santa at the Department store


Not many people put lights outside their houses - with it being light until 9pm, there's not much point! The traditional Christmas tree is in evidence, but often homes are decorated without it, lots of flowers and baubles, but no tree. It is a Victorian tradition after all.


Santa in Matakana

We also noticed that kiwis don't tend to send each other Christmas cards - they consider them a bit pointless and make a point of visiting everyone, with a beer,or holding a get-together, taking 'a plate' of goodies to one another's houses, to tell them 'Merry Christmas' in person, instead!


Kiwi Christmas!

There's no holly, no robins, no Harrods lights, no Westminster choirs, no plum puddings, no Birds Eye custard, no drunken brawls, no traffic jams, no struggling to park outside John Lewis, no pantomimes, we are even struggling to get some turkey!! Best to give up and join the kiwi celebrations - they're fun, they're laid back, and Christmas promises to be stress free (with plenty of parking and free wrapping of any gifts you buy!)


Kiwi humour !