# Merry Christmas and happy holidays!



## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

Hope all of you are having a lovely holiday season. 

It's almost 1pm, and about 43 degrees F (6 degrees C) here in Las Vegas. No snow. Not even any rain, but plenty cold still. 

What are the holidays like in NZ around this time of year? If I'm not mistaken, you have Christmas, New Years, and a holiday called Boxing Day all around the same time of year, right? 

What are the typical holiday traditions for your family in NZ? 

Best wishes all...

:snowman::xmastree::candy:


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## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

Well, bah humbug folks! Lol

_Nobody _wants to share their holiday traditions or put in their two cents about NZ during the Christmas/holiday season? Inquiring never-experienced-the-holidays-outside-the-US minds want to know! 

Christmas? New Years? Boxing Day?


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## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

^ bah humbug indeed. I'm in Thailand, no holiday and those around me went to work/school. I went cycling and kayaking (wore a Santa hat!). Out for a mixed seafood meal at a floating restaurant that evening. As low-key as it gets.

For NZ - my early family Xmas days evolved from 'traditional' ie huge roast meal, to a more summer-friendly menu, the big Xmas ham, chicken, salads for lunch, barbecue in the evening. When I was 10 we moved house to live about 150m from Fitzroy beach (New Plymouth) think that beach atmosphere hastened the change from the hot roast meal to something more 'summery'

This year in New Plymouth my sister hosted the family for lunch, two brothers, three of her adult children, two of their husbands, possibly five grandchildren (I've lost count) and a few friends, one dog and three hamsters. Ham/chicken etc while the visitors provided drinks and desserts. Afternoon people departed (likely left her to clean up!) and visited in-law families, friends etc.

Boxing Day has become for many a shopping day as department stores open major sales that day. See *New Zealand splashes out at Boxing Day sales*. Personally, that is close to my own idea of hell!

I spent my last 3-4 Xmas's in NZ in Wellington - a good time of year as the place empties out, so many people have enforced 2 weeks or more holiday as gov't departments close down, and it's the best time for driving, getting a park . . . not quite deserted, but an improvement.


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

Hey - I must have missed your original post, Mrs Rose. 
Well it all depends on the weather! This year we were going to have a picnic in 'The Lost Paddock' but ended up with a roast chicken on our (covered) deck. We did get a swim in the pool in though.

I wrote a post about this very thing back in 2009, so thought it would be worth resurrecting. 
See http://www.expatforum.com/expats/221541-post1.html


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