Christmas is a season shaped by tradition, and across Aotearoa, families have created their own heartfelt and uniquely Kiwi ways of celebrating the holidays. From rural routines to thoughtful keepsakes and bedtime rituals, these customs — whether generations old or newly formed — are what give Christmas its lasting magic. Reported by James Ball from 1News
For many whānau, the festive spirit is woven into familiar sights and sounds: pōhutukawa blooming near the beach, pavlova shared after a backyard barbecue, or songs sung together as the day winds down. To capture these moments, 1News invited people to share the traditions that make Christmas special in their homes.
In Taranaki, Christmas morning begins not under the tree, but 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
In Westport, balloons and scratchies have become a much-anticipated part of the festivities.
“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
In Invercargill, sharing takes centre stage.
“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
Meanwhile in Christchurch, Christmas becomes a countdown through stories.
“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
From cowsheds to storybooks, these traditions reflect the warmth, creativity, and connection that define a Kiwi Christmas.
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