Typical NZ Christmas

[steviebhoy]

It's the first night here in Scotland where it "smells" frosty making me think of Christmas. Was saying to JoJo76 as we went in the supermarket how strange it will be for Christmas to be in summer.

What is a "typical" kiwi Christmas day and what plans do other forum members
have?

Is it more of an outdoor day, bbq's etc? or do people stick to a "european" idea of Christmas celebrations?

Is Santa still all wrapped up or does he wear shorts and jandals?

[Flutterby]

A big spread of ham and pineapple, few chickens and salad type foods, big family get together, some time on the beach and maybe a BBQ. (at least thats what my partners family does)

we rang them on xmas day the other year and there were over a dozen people at his mums house having breakfast, and they planned to spend the day moving around all the houses in the family with food at each (sounds exhausting)

i fully intend to spend my first KIWI christmas at the beach

[kanatakiwi]

My OH's family all meet up down at the park/beach in the afternoon, with huge contributions of food and there is everything you could imagine from pork, lamb, chicken to pavlovas. Enough to fee 100 people!!
there is usually a soccer or cricket game sometime in the afternoon: oldies against the youngies!

pressies for the kids. Santa wears a hat but yes he is in shorts and jandals!

[Gar1]

Is Santa still all wrapped up or does he wear shorts and jandals?

Nothing stranger than seeing Santa wearing shades. I find xmas here very strange as it's summer but the cards still has a snow scene.

[StevieD]

Much more relaxed, shops not heaving like UK, obviously warmer as it is summer, but we didn't find it any where near as stressful as the build up to Xmas in UK.

We were on the beach Xmas morning with some friends, kids were kayaking and playing games, had a picnic (including mince pies!!) until the weather took a turn for the worst in the afternoon., but we were going to a BBQ anyway so it didn't matter. Huge pavlova for dessert was nice too, topped with kiwi and strawberry....

[benandclare]

We're planing on hitting the beach this year for a BBQ as my DD will be over

Last year Clare was working so I went round to the unit and had some sarnies with her at lunchtime and then we had BBQ in the evening and opened our pressies

[Moorf]

This will be our 5th Kiwi Christmas but only the 2nd without family here (and next year I think it's a big family Kiwi Xmas reunion )

We don't have kids so generally we just like to pig out and walk the hounds (we're a bit bah-humbug at Xmas and I only put up decorations if we're expecting children to visit!!), we usually plan to have a bbq but, I have to say, the weather hasn't really been all that great during Xmas - it's usually quite unpredictable down here actually at that time of year - with the warmer weather kicking in mid Jan...

[wilson182]

We hit the beach last year and it was fab. I remember sitting on the sand with my glass of lindaur - watching DD get used to her new bodyboard in the sea - thinking "Ah, this is the life" BUT that is the first one we have had that has been warm enough to do that. We have always had a BBQ, but it hasn't always been warm.

[Leccy-Lee]

To be honest, i really didn't enjoy Xmas last year at all, and thats not to say i didn't have fun visiting the south island and flatmates family Xmas. But the whole not being a UK Xmas just got me down, (dark and chilly, pretty lights etc EVEN the packed Oxford street) and being here alone in NZ doesn't help at Xmas really. So much so i spent past 2-3 months hoping and praying i could afford to fly home for two weeks, but alais not even 1/4 of the budget could i afford... LOL
So another Kiwi Xmas somewhere, somehow awaits.

BUT, in terms of a "kiwi" Christmas, i got a good idea last year and dare i say maybe a better idea of a kiwi Xmas than most, as i spent it with my kiwi flatmates family on a farm in the Canterbury Plains. There was over 20 people there in the 3 days, and they was all Kiwis and only one had ever left NZ, so to say it was a true "kiwi" Xmas would be an understatement. And yes i felt very odd and out of place at "there" Christmas!

Anyway, it was all very low key to me, just like another day-off, like a family Sunday. Two days before we walked into the woods and cut down a 20ft pine tree just to lop the top off it and drag it indoors and hang some tinsel on it (was very random odd looking tree!). On Xmas eve we all sat in garden chatting, had a BBQ and went to bed about 10pm! Xmas morning had a full cooked breakfast at a different family members farm and then kids all opened presents etc in garden in sunshine (and i felt very odd as i never met any these people to the day before and present opening is a very private and family moment!).The Afternoon everyone just lounged in garden and melted (way too hot for Xmas) And in the evening there was a buffet spread on table and just grab a plate, no Xmas dinner, no BBQ etc, then about 11pm i was dragged out on a shooting trip with the guys as i quote "We got to take this city pommy shooting" (city? i grew up in Sussex orchards?)

Boxing day i flew back to Wellington, notch that down to weirdest Xmas i ever had, was fun and very nice of them to invite me, but odd none the less!

New Years however was great, had a ball in Napier with Holland and OH

[Moorf]

We hit the beach last year and it was fab.

Yeah, I remember P's sunburn!!!! Owwwwww....