Christmas is a season built on tradition, and every whānau has their own way of making the holidays special.
For some, it’s the way the pōhutukawa blooms by the beach, the pavlova on the table, or the songs sung after a backyard barbecue.
Whether they've been passed down for generations or created recently, these traditions give Christmas its magic.
1News asked people to share the festive rituals that make their holidays special.
Presents opened at the cowshed
"The kids take their Christmas stockings up to the cowshed to open them with their dad. They wait patiently while he finishes milking, and then we all head home together to open the rest of the presents."
- Chels Barnett, Taranaki
Scratchies in balloons
"Since my kids were little, I made them – under protest – take the compulsory Christmas tree photo. I added a few balloons for colour, so it looked cool, and everyone loves a few balloons right? Once they were older, I started putting $1 scratchies inside the balloons, rolled up and blown up over their presents. If they wanted the scratchies, they had to have the photo first.
"To start off, they'd get 10 each, that's a lot of balloons to blow up so I invested in a balloon pump. Five years ago, I was gifted two step-children, they are now a part of the shenanigans, and I'm quietly confident if the balloons weren't there there would be some disappointment. In the 20 years I've been doing this, no one has won anything substantial, so now it's a competition to see who can win the most money.
"This year, our 10-year-old granddaughter joins for the first time, so the limit is five scratchies each. But three of the kids have partners, so nine people will pop 45 balloons. Surely this is the year someone gets lucky."
- Vicki Rawena, Westport
Ornaments for lost loved ones
"In my lifetime, I’ve found each Christmas there’s one less friendly face around our table. We love and we lose. Every year, I light a candle for my loved ones beside their photos. For many years, I’ve collected special ornaments. My partner and I lost a set of twins, so we have two elf decorations that go on the tree every year. I lost my grandmother, and she has her own decoration. Even our family pet has one. Each year I put them up to remember the times we shared. It feels like they’re there with us, and it’s a tradition I intend to honour for my children too."
- Tom Harrison, Christchurch
A Christmas share basket
"Since my children were wee, we decided no Christmas stockings. Instead, we have a share basket and fill it with treats that everyone can enjoy. My 'children' are now adults, and I still continue with this tradition. We call it our Christmas share basket and anyone who comes to our home can have treats as well. For 36 years we have been doing this. I have this year’s basket all ready to go on the coffee table on Christmas Eve. The 'kids' don’t see it until Christmas morning."
- Christine Brown, Invercargill
A Christmas children's book countdown
"Since my tamariki were preschoolers, we’ve had a family tradition where I wrap 25 Christmas children’s books and place them in a basket under the tree. Each night we open a book and read it together. My daughter is now a teenager and my son is 11, and even now they look forward to it every year. We have books like A Kiwi Christmas and The Little Yellow Digger Saves Christmas, and when we open them my tamariki say, 'I remember this one, I like this one'. Each year I buy one or two new books, so now I probably have 50. By the time my children have their own families, I hope they keep the tradition and borrow one of the special books."
- Amy Dean, Christchurch
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