TeamEmbo

It'll be our first Christmas here and already it's weird seeing Christmas decorations up in the stores and hearing the usual Christmas piped music.

I usually love this time of year, but not too sure how I feel at the moment. It all just seems strange.

Any tips for how Christmas is done here and how to survive our first one without the usual house full of friends and family?

Is shopping for presents the same - expensive before 25th and less than half price Boxing Day?

And does anyone know of anything festive, carol concerts, parades, etc that we could go along to in Christchurch or North Canterbury?

Many thanks
Mandie

karonious

Boxing day sales are really good here - the stuff that they usually overcharge you for extortionately the rest of the year comes down to the price you would expect to pay! And the shops are so quiet, it's not like anything I've ever experienced in the UK - and the sun is shining!!

garryhg

hi jacky here....wow its so wierd being here at christmas time.....can't get my head round it either....i've usually bought everything buy now,can't get into the christmas spirit at all.....i think its just because its sunny and warm,just feels like summer holidays not crimbo....

think i will go and make a start today as i am starting my new job next week and won 't have the same time

Jude J

The first one is wierd. I think maybe the trick is just to go with the flow, just treat it as a nice bit of time off work. Try not to think about what you would be doing if you were back in UK.
On my first, I loved the few days before Christmas day, loved the lack of crowds in the shops, loved walking around with sandy feet and suntanned legs, it was great! But then I hit a black spot on chrissy day, just knowing that we wouldn't be having anyone pop in for a drink or anything as we hadn't met any friends by then. I felt like everyone else was having the dream Christmas and I was the only one wishing it was over.
I love it now. I might even buy a christmas tree this year!

Beachcombers

The Christmas build up is a non event for us, we do not bother with decorations etc, just does not seem quite right!

But Christmas itself is pretty good, we always make a effort with the food and wine (no wine this year, baby due in Jan). Then it is off to the beach!

happynz

Enjoy your restful nights now 'cos once Beachcombers version 2.0 arrives you can put paid to a full night's sleep for the next dozen months or so. So yeah, you ought to enjoy a bit of the vino now.

Beachcombers

Well, I reckon it's going to be a quite one, but we are looking forward to baby's arrival more than anything.

But, ask me again after three months of interrupted sleep, a proession of over excited Finnish and Filapino grandmothers, Swedish and British relatives, a 40th bithday, the opening of a new business and being "on call" 24hrs during the grape harvest!

Marika 38

First one for us too, and like you feel very strange about it, can't feel Chrismassy yet, so i think it will be upon us before we know it, will have to try to get a bit organised and get the kids some pressies, do a roast turkey, to try to make it feel not so different, a walk to the beach, out of intrest as much as anything, just to see how many are there on Xmas day, perhaps we'll have a swim, hopefully will have our container of stuff, so i can a tree up at least, do't really want to buy new xmas decs, but don't want to have nothing either.
At a shopping mall near us, theres a big santa with a surfboard, that makes me smile every time i see it.

Marika 38

Exciting times ahead Beachcombers, I adore babies, so look forward to hearing about your new arrival, awwwwwwww.

jackietyfry

How do Kiwi's celebrate Christmas? Do you have Boxing Day?

It must be sooooooo strange for all you first timers, for us Brits Christmas is about cold weather, dark nights and hibernating with too much food and drink ... possibly a brisk walk on Boxing Day.

I guess its like a previous poster said, you have to forget what you normally do and all those cosy associations with Christmas' past ... or do you??

Perhaps you still have the turkey, xmas pudding, crackers, mince pies etc?

Jackie

happynz

Yes, and it's a paid statutory holiday.

We will have had enough of the cold and early nights in June, July and August.

I grew up in California so sunny warm Christmases seem fairly normal.

There is all that, for sure. The British cultural influence is still extremely strong.

Kiwiprincess

Speaking as a born and raised kiwi girl here (or kiwi princess should i say) I can say that my family always had what I saw as a traditional kiwi christmas.

By that I mean:
Woke up far too early, spent two - three hours in a sodding traffic jam to travel up the coast to Kapiti, trying not to be sick from hangovers (oops christmas eve parties), buying overpriced coke cans from enterprising 9 year olds on the side of SH1 (just by Paekakariki used to be good), and continued on our merry way to whichever nominated relative got to "have christmas" that year and endeavoured to completely stuff ourselves with food and wine.

Food consisted of Turkey, ham, chicken (all usually cold meats) and hot vegetables (potatoes, kumara, parsnips, peas etc etc), lots of gravys and sauces and then after waiting an hour or two (and trying not to wake grandad who had fallen asleep on the sofa with his christmas party hat on) we then would start on, personally, my favourite course - dessert. It is quite possibly the only time I would eat pavlova (only my grandmother makes it perfect...i swear ), brandy snaps, ice cream, creme brulee and other assorted desserts.

Somewhere along the lines we would open presents.

By that stage we would all feel absolutely ill and then an hour after that (still feeling ill) we would pile back in the car and take 30 mins getting home (remember: over two hours to get there in the morning).

That to me is a traditional kiwi christmas. Much like many of my friends. The other half of my friends and people we knew thought we were barking mad and had a BBQ. I kinda figured that just wasn't quite special enough

So in summary, cooked veges but cold meat and sitting on the deck of whoseever house we were at. And we frequently had visitors for Christmas too - so it was quite normal that one year we had the German family next door to my aunt's house visit, another year were two swedish girls (my brother loved that one), and another year were two Indonesian softball players.

So a bit of a mixed but fun day

Kiwiprincess

Oooh and as for Boxing day - well it is the start of the 5th Season: the Shopping Season.

Actually I lie, Boxing day when we were kids used to be when we would go along to the Boxing Day Cricket test at the Basin Reserve (but i don't know if they still do that?). Now that we are older, boxing day is the start of the shopping season. It is the time to buy a $6 christmas tree (down from $50!) and $2 boxes of decorations.

Time to trample on people in farmers to get a $20 jacket etc etc

Ahhh...bliss.

nzewe

Last year was our first Christmas. It did feel strange even though we had the traditional turkey dinner. I think once the day is over you just look on it as a nice break from work. As far as events go the Coca Cola Party in the Park at Hagley next Saturday was ok last year. Some traditional carols etc. Need to wrap up warm though, last year was a cold evening even though it was warm all day.

Ted Logan

No way my Grandma made the best and I have the belly to prove it ;D err actually I brought that in England but my Gran made the best.

Our Christmas would be to Karori to open eat play and eat more with the Grandparents. That would consist of a roast meal.

Now days it seems more of cold meats, salads and BBQ's But as its summer so it should be.