Wondering what to do for Christmas this year? You may love the classical, snow-covered winter, staying at home with family, and drinking hot chocolate, but maybe this time you want to try something new?
How about jumping over to New Zealand for the holidays? Imagine lavishing all day on the beach, making a sandman, and meeting new people who love traveling like you do. This Christmas you can be part of the Kiwi nation and spend some time spreading the love around while visiting one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
You might think – what is Christmas like in New Zealand? For the most part, New Zealanders celebrate Christmas like everywhere else in the northern hemisphere. There are Christmas trees, decorations, songs, gifts, stockings and all of the things you already know.
What you don’t already know are the summer activities going on during Christmas- making a BBQ, laying on the beach, swimming, and enjoying the whole festive day outside. If you are a backpacker, then spending a traditional Christmas with you backpacker friends is just as heartwarming as any family celebration.
The Christmas presents will be waiting for you under the Christmas tree wrapped in colorful paper to be opened on Christmas day. In New Zealand, the Christmas trees are two types – pine tree (usually artificial) to put inside homes and the native pohutukawa tree that blossoms around Christmas time.
The whole celebration of Christmas lasts for 3 days. On Christmas Eve, families go to a midnight mass in their church. On Christmas day, the presents are opened and there is a festive dinner. Boxing day takes place on December 26 with families spending time shopping.
Traditionally, Christmas dinner is different for everyone. There are some classics, though, like steamed Christmas pudding, a Christmas cake or pie. The warm weather outside predisposes one to a lighter meal enjoyed in a garden or on the beach.
One of the most authentic ways to get a feel for the local culture is to spend Christmas with local hosts. Hostels in New Zealand celebrate Christmas by preparing a dinner and BBQ to bring all of its residents together for socialization and making of new friends. For those that want to make some extra cash while enjoying the celebration, the hospitality and retail businesses are looking for extra staff on Christmas day. The pay, of course, is doubled by most employers.
There are plenty of opportunities to get into the Christmas spirit and help someone out by volunteering. You can volunteer for City Mission by providing Christmas lunches for the homeless and lonely. You can also volunteer as one of the city’s Santa’s Helpers to distribute food and gifts to people in need on the island.
Some other wonderful things to experience are the famous puppetry window display in Auckland, the Christmas parades, the switching of the lights event, live music acts, Christmas shopping, and Christmas parties.
Want some help on having the perfect travel and vacation and making the most of the experience? Road Trip offers personalized New Zealand road trips. The custom tours are tailored to your specific needs to give you a unique experience. To try out all the options, short sample tours are given beforehand to let you pick out the best version of your trip.
The service provided by Road Trip is a private tour service for you or your small company of people. The friendly staff will make sure that you get only what you want out of the trip without the interference of large group interests. This can be your perfect trip to New Zealand!
