The dangers of the office party are real. If you're lucky enough to wake up still holding the respect of workmates, you've done well, writes Matt Heath.

We went into winter late, and we're exiting winter late, the MetService said - as many Kiwis were left pondering where on Earth summer disappeared to this weekend.

The weather meant previous turnouts weren't challenged - but organisers say they are thrilled with the crowd at the Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park.

Some well known Kiwis — and one adopted Aussie — tell us their Christmas rituals.

As chief toy tester and buyer for Farmers, the 31-year-old has a big role choosing which toys will be hot at Christmas.

Bedecked with images of Santas, reindeer, snowflakes and happy-looking snowmen, all crafted in the finest polyester, the Christmas suit is the latest item to challenge received ideas about what looks good for the festive season.

Christmas shoppers have bent the plastic, spending a whopping $2.3 billion in the first fortnight of December.

Soldiers will make sure there is no Christmas cheer in Sierra Leone this year as the Ebola virus continues to spread through west Africa.

Looking for some weekend activities in Auckland this weekend? These are the places to be.

I woke up feeling very charitable this morning, New Zealand's answer to Bob Geldof and Band Aid and all that kind of thing.

There are fisticuffs over ornamental garden features. There is eye gouging over ferret-patterned coasters. There is battering to death of underpaid shop girls with relaxation candles.

Consumers are feeling more cheerful going into the peak Christmas trading period, the ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence survey has found.

For many athletes at the Special Olympics Howick-Pakuranga club, playing sport with their mates each week is the highlight of their lives.

For most of us, the worst thing about Christmas and New Year feasts is the excessive amount of food we gorge over the festive season.

These guys have paid as much attention to decorating their beard as they would their Christmas tree, attaching anything from robin's nests to candy canes.

Just what do you get our top movers and shakers for Christmas? Helpfully, Toby Manhire has compiled a list of ideal options (so you don't have to).

Employers are changing the way they run Xmas parties to cater for more diverse workplaces, including an increase in Muslims who don't eat ham or drink alcohol.

A warning is being issued to motorists after a third of New Zealanders surveyed admitted to leaving valuable possessions in their car.

Many kids are begging Santa for Lego, iPads and iPods or a new dog or cat for Christmas in letters they have written, New Zealand Post says.

Holiday dinners could be put on hold after of a large number of Christmas hams, salamis and steaks were stolen from a Nelson butcher, police say.

Far from experiencing peace and goodwill at Christmas, nearly half of men admit to feeling sad or depressed over the festive season.

Radiant summer weather made a brief call to the North Island at the weekend, attracting hardy bathers into the still-cool water at beaches and creating a run on icecream.

Well-known Kiwis tell the Herald on Sunday about the worst presents they’ve received. Cherie Howie reports.

Christmas is a time for giving — and taking, and your powers of persuasion can play a big part when it comes to securing that dream gift.

Celebrity chefs and restaurateurs have banded together to ask diners to help feed needy Kiwis this Christmas.

Put that credit card in your pocket. There are lots of things you shouldn't be buying before Christmas. They're the items that the retailers keep at full price or not far off.