KEY POINTS:
Christmas in New Zealand comes as a shock for many newcomers _ no snow, no sleigh bells and little obvious sign of many Christian traditions. Three immigrant families tell Lincoln Tan how they rediscovered the magic of the season by celebrating the Kiwi way.
FESTIVAL
OF JESUS, AND NEW BABY
To the Cadacios, a devout Christian family originally from the Philippines, Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus.
But it is another birth that will be making Christmas here extra
special for them this year.
Baby Maria Aotearoa - or Kiwi as she is fondly called - is now 5 months old. She became a surprise addition to the Cadacio family, who already have four other children aged between 13 and 17.
"It wasn't planned, but Maria Aotearoa is God's gift and she is a reminder to us about what Christmas is truly all about - love and
family," said Jodeal Cadacio.
"We named her after New Zealand because her birth has forged a special
bond for us with this country we now call home."
Mr Cadacio, of Browns Bay, said what he found most special about
Christmas here was the length of time people got off from work. His three weeks' leave from work as a journalist at the North Shore Times would allow him to spend "quality time" with the family.
Having not travelled beyond Manurewa in the south and Orewa in the
north in their 18 months here, Mr Cadacio is planning a road trip to
Wellington over Christmas. "It is different to what we would do back in the Philippines over Christmas, but besides barbecues and beaches, travelling is something that many Kiwis do over this period."
Mr Cadacio said celebrations back in the Philippines were focused
more on church and community than the immediate family.
Everyone would decorate their homes with colourful lanterns and lights, there would be shopping frenzy at the malls and Christmas music would
be blasting from all radio stations.
Extended family members working in the urban centres would return to the provinces.
"There were parts of the Philippines celebrations we really missed, and when we moved here last year we felt really lonely and spent most of our first Christmas in tears," said Mr Cadacio.
"But we have since learned that different does not mean bad, and, in fact, it is really special that we get to have a quiet Christmas."
Tonight, the Filipino community, mainly Catholics, will gather at St Joseph's Church in Takapuna at 8.30 for their traditional Christmas Mass, Misa de Gallo.
A TIME OF PEACE AND CELEBRATION
Kiwi Christmas celebrations feel quiet for Thai immigrant Salackjat
Khongsathian - but she's not complaining about our low key approach.
As a Christian, she says it has been difficult to celebrate Christmas
meaningfully back in her predominantly Buddhist homeland of Thailand,
and the ongoing political strife there has also made her appreciate the peace that comes with Christmas in New Zealand.
"Christmas is peace, and unlike Bangkok, there is peace here at
Christmas time," she says.
Ms Khongsathian, 27, a mother of two boys aged 5 and 6, says she is
looking forward to attending the Christmas service at her church, the
Christian Family Church in Devonport, and to having a peaceful, family-
oriented Christmas.
"We will thank God for the peace here, and pray for those people who
do not enjoy the same peace, like those back in Bangkok," she says.
Only 3 per cent of Thais are Christian, she says, and Christmas
celebrations there are very secular.
"In Bangkok, there are more lights, more shopping and more noise
at Christmas time, but there's very little meaning. People know
Santa, but they do not know Christ."
Her mother, Goi, is married to Ron Monkley, a local, and having that
New Zealand link means enjoying the best of both worlds at Christmas.
Celebrations are about sun, sand and backyard barbecues - but none of it happens without Thai food.
"Food is a must for any celebrations, and we are lucky that mum is a good cook," says Ms Khongsathian, a waitress at Benjarong Thai at
Milford.
"At barbecues and picnics, there's always Thai food like larb gai
[meat marinated with Thai spices] and spicy soups like Tom Yam
goong."
There's also a double celebration planned this year, with her 19-year-old sister Chutchanok Parinyapon - whose birthday falls on
Christmas day - being home for the holidays, returning from Otago
University where she's studying biochemistry.
MOVING ON FROM A STATE OF DENIAL
Julia Brannigan used to spend hours on Christmas morning stuffing the
turkey. Then she decided to stuff her old British Christmas traditions instead.
From an initial state of denial, Mrs Brannigan says her family now look
forward to doing things over Christmas which are impossible to do back in London at this time of the year, like heading to the beach, and even spending time at home in the garden with friends.
"Like Kiwis, we've learned to chill out, and it just made Christmas a
whole lot better," says Mrs Brannigan.
Expecting Christmas observations here to be similar to Britain, the "lack of frenzy and low key" New Zealand celebrations came as a rude shock when they celebrated their first Christmas here in 2006.
"We ended up without really celebrating it at all, because it just didn't feel right - from the warm weather and the lack of fuss - you could say we were in a state of denial almost," Mrs Brannigan said.
Back in the UK, Mrs Brannigan, an Anglican, and her husband Patrick, a
Catholic, made it an annual ritual to attend midnight Mass and Christmas
morning service. They have two children, Joseph, 7, and Rebecca, 9, who attend Vauxhall School in Devonport.
On Christmas Day back home, she would be up at 6am stuffing the turkey and spending the rest of the morning steaming puddings, and preparing
Christmas lunch for friends and family. It would be norm to spend the rest of the day dining and singing carols.
"I guess it would be a great thing to do on a cold, dark, wintry day, but not when it's bright and sunny. So we have consciously decided not to do any of those here," Mrs Brannigan said.
Instead, Christmas will be spent largely outdoors - in the garden, or going to a beach close to their Devonport home.
Christmas tradition is kept to just having a Christmas tree, the Nativity scene and candles on an advent crown.
"After two Christmases, we are now truly settled, and are looking forward to celebrating it with our new-found friends and family,
and the person who minds our children has also become their substitute
grandma."
