Royal fail: the weird Kiwi Xmas tradition ... that isn't

According to the postal service, we Kiwis all share the tradition of placing our national icon on top of our Christmas trees in place of a star or angel. Image / Twitter

The UK's Royal Mail has been called out for a royal fail.

According to the postal service, we Kiwis all share the tradition of putting our national icon on top of our Christmas trees in place of a star or angel.

Except that, before tweeting a postcard showing a golden kiwi atop a tree, it seems no one at the Royal Mail bothered to ask a New Zealander to check whether this yuletide practice was actually correct.

The tweet was predictably met with savage ridicule by Kiwis.

"The worst bit is hearing them scream when the pine branch goes up them, but what are you going to do, it's not a proper NZ Christmas without it," user @dovil replied.

Another jested: "Ahhh no, you're thinking of the taxidermy kiwi we traditionally give to our first born sons."

The information was sourced from the website everythingaboutchristmas.com – which included another curious fact about Christmas in Aotearoa.

"Falling in the summer holidays, Christmas is likely to be spent outside in the sunshine. It's the same for Santa. He's often seen dressed in sandals and shorts, or surfing, jet-skiing or delivering presents by traditional Maori canoe."

You're confused guys, it's Wiki we put on top of our trees. Effigies of Reuben Wiki, the prolific former rugby league international who has attained somewhat angelic and saintly status in New Zealand

— chris (@Lukeurmyson) December 20, 2018

I will admit though, the screaming of the bird attached to the top of the tree at around 2am does tend to remove a little of the gloss off that particular Xmas tradition.

— Sarah Hendrica Bickerton 🏳️‍🌈 (@sarahhbickerton) December 20, 2018

Which is why the “12 days of Christmas” in New Zealand finishes with
“A pine tree in a kiwi”

— Kiwis for kiwi (@Kiwisforkiwi) December 20, 2018

At least the website was correct in noting the pohutukawa as our national Christmas tree.

It wasn't the first foreign misconception involving the kiwi – and certainly not the most offensive.

UK comedian John Oliver, who has made a sport of mocking New Zealand, has called kiwi "the planet's most worthless bird" akin to "a dumb, fat mouse who got its face stuck on a straw".

People who are nonetheless keen to involve our cherished kiwi in their festive plans can gift a donation to the charity helping save it, Kiwis for Kiwi.