A Christmas Story...Kiwi Style

Trip Start Sep 09, 2007
1
23
Trip End Ongoing


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Flag of New Zealand  ,
Thursday, December 25, 2008

FIrst of all Christmas is not celebrated in NZ. Xmas is. It may not seem like much to you,but in the Antipodes, things are quite different.This country is, by and large a secular nation, and religion is held very privately...and many people are professed, without shame, atheists. Bill O'Reilly would shudder and make it into an editorial akin to the godless San Franciscans. If one goes about even mentioning religion,much less street preaching...one is regarded as a nutter.

Further,this is the Southern Hemisphere 45degrees south and Xmas occurs in the summer,in fact at nearly the longest day of the year. It doesn't get dark till about 11PM...try hanging out decorative twinkle lights under those conditions...FOrget it.

No creches...and the good news...no endless jingles for 6 weeks in stores and on the telly.No fights about who has the right to display whatever...makes for slower news days C at our house at later xmas when Nick here
C at our house at later xmas when Nick here
 . Only a few Xmas trees...and shabbily but simply decorated...the women of Dallas would be lost.

Kiwis are also more frugal than in the states...presents are exchanged, but are simple very sincere,often handmade,and are not found in vast heaps. It is the time of summer vacation and all schools are out for 2 months or so...businesses close for a couple of weeks and everyone goes on holiday.

. XMas day is for a big party with lots of people, a barbie is lit with lots of lamb, people share dishes ,games are played and MUCH alcohol is consumed...it is the way to go.

Candy did prevail and introduce our friends to our usual dinner with pasta,sauce meatballs...and yes, persuaded everyone to go to a midnight service for carroling.

We went on Christmas day to our friends...20 people or so...got there at noon or so and got home at 3AM...got into a drunken Texas Hold'em game...ate at regular intervals and drank steadily. A smashing good time.

Need to mention we had a second Xmas in January when Nick came to visit.

Further info...the day after Xmas is a holiday too..Boxing Day. In England in times past it was a set aside for the upper classes to box up left overs and give them to the servants and the poor...here it is a day for big retail sales...we all went to the beach to clear our heads.
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