All over the world Christmas is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm. Different countries around the world celebrate this festival with different fervor. In New Zealand, Christmas is celebrated extremely in a different way from rest of the world, as it is summer here instead of winter. Though there is no chilly weather or snow in New Zealand, one thing that is common to all is the spirit of the festival which fills the hearts of all people. Here in New Zealand the holiday is combined with summer break, partying, gift exchanging, family picnics are mostly held during Christmas in New Zealand. A few days before the festival, stores and malls reveals the festive spirit. The shops are beautifully decorated with Santa Claus in his red cloak and white beard, along with snow scenes. Let us find out the Christmas traditions in New Zealand in detail.
Christmas traditions have greatly evolved through the ages in New Zealand. Most of the rituals and traditions have been derived from England as it was in the 18th century. Moreover, with the changing times, the traditions have undergone dramatic change due to globalization and commercialization. For example, the outlook of Father Christmas had changed completely. Today, he is referred as Santa Claus and is more like the Santa of the western countries. Like other countries of the world, the festival is celebrated in a blissful warm environ in New Zealand.
While the western countries celebrate Christmas in snow and chill weather, New Zealand is full of life. There are many beautiful and colorful flowers and scented aromas that create an enticing scene of refreshing beauty and charm. A unique aspect of Christmas celebrations in New Zealand is Christmas tree. The tree looks spectacular with beautiful lovely red blossoms.
In the Maori culture, spirits and creatures resemble the elves and gnomes of European Christmas traditions and thus, play an important role in New Zealand Christmas celebrations. People here celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with a special service as it is apt with their way of life. There are plenty of shepherds in New Zealand who take care of their flocks as a part of reverence to Christmas festival. It can be said that the people of the country celebrate this festival in the true sense that we call as Christmas.
One more thing common to both New Zealand and western countries is the importance given to the feast or as it called as Christmas dinner. The traditional Christmas dinner in New Zealand is roast turkey with vegetables and sauces. In dessert, a rich, fruity Christmas pudding is served with brandy sauce, mince pies, and pastry cases that filled with a blend of chopped dried fruit. During Christmas feast, the whole family relishes the exotic dinner together. Some of them also go on a small trip by renting a car. New Zealanders celebrate this festival twice a year. The second Christmas is celebrated with great joy and zeal in July when it is mid-winter in New Zealand in order to enjoy the festival in snow and chilly weather to feel the tempo of winter Christmas. During this period most of the people also like to hire a car in New Zealand and move out of the town on tour in order to enjoy the zest of second Christmas like western countries. Thus, if you want have a change from winter Christmas to enjoy summer Christmas in cool breeze and sunny days, then you should surely visit New Zealand this holiday season to enjoy Christmas in a different way.
