Season's greetings – a time to relax with whānau and friends

Ngahiwi and Mere Tomoana. Photo / Supplied

By Ngahiwi Tomoana

Tēnā koutou katoa i roto i ngā mihi o te Kirihimete e whakatata mai nei, tae noa ki ngā mihi o te tau hou e mahuta ake nei i tōna pae.

The Christmas and New Year's season is upon us and celebratory excitement is bubbling up across communities.

But some pockets of people dread this time of year, who can't afford gifts, who rely on food parcels, which leads to whānau stress and often domestic violence.

Lessons learned during Covid-19 lockdowns were that everyone in the "main" shared and cared for each other and reached out to most isolated whānau in our communities, bridging all creeds, colours and cultures.

This we must do in the spirit of Christ. When Christianity was introduced to Māori we learned that Jesus was an indigenous man who spoke his native language, giving prophecies of love and peace not unlike the prophecies of our own visionaries such as Tāwhaki, Toto and Ruawharo.

That's how and why we embraced it at the time. It wasn't seen as a western religion then. It must become natural for us then, to reach out to make this season memorable for giving and for forgiving, for everyone.

A time to relax with whānau and friends and strangers we haven't met yet. It's been a long and gnarly year.

Mā te oranga ngākau ka piki te wairua.

A compassionate heart will lift the spirits of many.

Meri Kirihimete me ngā mihi o te Tau Hou,

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year