Santa is prising open the purse strings at financially strapped Government departments and private firms to bring back some festive joy to office parties.

This year marks the 80th Farmers Santa Parade. Danielle Wright goes behind the scenes.

Emirates Team NZ will join Santa when he takes a break from his busy Christmas preparations to spread festive joy in central Auckland tomorrow.

Contemplating trays of Christmas mince tarts in my local bakery, I put the question to the smiling girl behind the counter: "Do you have any hot cross buns?"

Employment expert Tom O'Neil will be chatting online to help you survive this silly season, having a blast without destroying your dignity.

The work Christmas do can be a minefield of alcohol-fuelled wit, drunken proposals, chronic boredom and stuffing yourself silly.

Christmas is meant to be a time of joy but many children around NZ go without. This year one dad has vowed to make a difference, pledging 100 gifts for kids.

Charities are bracing themselves for an influx of more than 40,000 struggling Kiwi families who can't afford to serve Christmas dinner or put presents under the tree this year.

Christmas won't be the same in Henderson this year as its annual Santa parade moves - to Massey.

New Zealand will provide a further $6 million to help Samoa recover from its most devastating cyclone in 21 years.

Engineers have unveiled a plan which they say can allow for the restoration of the Christ Church Cathedral.

New Zealand shoppers spent more on their debit and credit cards last month, according to figures out today.

Retailers enjoyed only a modest improvement in spending patterns over December, according to Paymark.

City Mission leaders were not aware of tour groups at their Christmas lunch and have called for any "irresponsible" operator who may have sent one to offer a donation.

The grieving family of a toddler killed in a driveway runover on Christmas Eve are preparing for his burial tomorrow.

While most New Zealanders spent Christmas afternoon napping off their lunch or playing with their new toys, others listed their unwanted gifts on Trade Me.

The Queen looked past scandal that has at times this year shaken the royal family to send out a global thanks to those who helped celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.

A West Auckland family escaped from an inferno after their house was deliberately set on fire early on Christmas morning.

Hundreds of thousands of bargain hunters are expected to make the most of the Boxing Day sales.

The Christmas Eve death of a toddler in a tragic driveway accident has left a tiny lakeside village reeling.

A man watched in horror as his brother drowned in stormy surf at Whiritoa beach on the Coromandel Peninsula on Christmas Eve.

A gifted academic who grew up in Karori has died suddenly in London, devastating her family.