Елена Лыскова
студентка 2 курса
Санкт-Петербургского гуманитарного университета профсоюзов, г. Алматы
Лемяскина Наталья Васильевна
научный руководитель, старший преподаватель Санкт–Петербургского
Гуманитарного университета профсоюзов, г. Алматы
Christmas in New Zealand
Christmas ("Christ's
Mass") is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed
holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by millions of people around the
world. Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations, is
celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians too, and is an integral
part of the Christmas and holiday season. It is usually associated with winter, snow, cold, conifers. Christmas celebrations include a great number and
variety of customs with either secular, religious, or national aspects, which
vary from country to country. In
the Southern Hemisphere Christmas is during the summer.
New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa)
is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country
geographically comprises two main landmasses ‒ that of the North and South Islands ‒ and numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500
kilometers (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly
1,000 kilometers (600 mi) south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its
remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. The original inhabitants of New Zealand were the
Maori. You can find signs of English and Maori culture, and this is surprising
to visitors. English is the main language here, but Maori is the official
language too. English names, like Hamilton, are next to Maori names, like
Ngaruawahia. In New Zealand the
weather is "upside down" on its head. Winter lasts from June to
August, and in December the summer begins. Therefore, the traditional winter
(in the understanding of the majority of the inhabitants of the northern
hemisphere) holidays here are celebrated quite unconventionally.
The
weather here is warm and the cities are not crowded, so people spend a lot of
time outside. People prefer to live in a house with the garden. Families spend
hours in their gardens, growing flowers and vegetables, playing and having barbecues.
Water sports are very popular in the country. In this country you are never
more than 125 kilometers from the sea. Christianity is the predominant religion in New Zealand, although its
society is among the most secular in the world. In the 2006 Census, 55.6
percent of the population identified themselves as Christians.
Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented in the New Testament. Christianity is the world's largest religion, with over 2.4 billion adherents, known as Christians. Christians believe
that Jesus is the Son of God
and the savior of humanity whose coming as Christ or the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament.
Some
older people still talk about “home” and mean Britain, and you can still find
things that really belong to Britain more than New Zealand. At Christmas you
can buy and send Christmas cards with pictures of snow and wood fires, although
the temperature may be 25 degrees and people spend Christmas on the beach. New Zealand is a small country that doesn’t produce
much, and, as such, a lot of its culture is imported from America and Great
Britain. This means that the majority of the Christmas movies that New
Zealanders watch on TV, the majority of the Christmas cards and the wrapping
paper they buy in shops, the majority of the Christmas music they hear and the
carols they try not to sing have been made with the Northern Hemisphere in
mind. People have a Christmas
Tree in their homes and decorate it like people in the USA
or UK. Many New Zealanders have
a barbecue for Christmas lunch and this is becoming more popular. The food
cooked on the barbecue is often ham slices or even venison or some other kind
of exotic meat. Shrimps and other fish are also barbecued! Desserts are also very popular! Many still have a hot
fruit pudding with custard and ice cream but cold desserts are popular. These
include Pavlova ( the dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the
dancer either during or after one of her tours to New Zealand in the 1920s)[, meringues, cold fruit salad, jelly
and ice cream. Drinks include a range
of soft drinks. The pohutukawa tree (Metrosideros excelsa) with its
crimson flower has become an established part of the New Zealand Christmas tradition.
This iconic Kiwi Christmas tree, which often features on greeting cards and in
poems and songs, has become an important symbol for New Zealanders at home and
abroad. In 1833 the missionary
Henry Williams described holding service under a ‘wide spreading pohutukawa’.
The first recorded reference to the pohutukawa as a Christmas tree came in 1867
when the Austrian geologist Ferdinand von Hochstetter noted that settlers
referred to it as such. The pohutukawa, he observed, ‘about Christmas … are
full of charming … blossoms’; ‘the settler decorates his church and dwellings
with its lovely branches’.
Christmas
Day and Boxing Day are both declared as public holidays all over New Zealand
and most New Zealanders are seen camping, at the beaches, with friends and
families. On this day, traditional
meals are prepared for the feast; some of the popular ones include “Hangi”,
which is a dinner cooked under the ground according to the native Maori style.
Kiwi barbecuing is yet again a popular option as its summer time and most
people prefer spending time outdoors. There are competitions held for the
best decorated house in almost all localities. A number of themed parades are
also seen on Queen Street as a part of the festivities. The parades commence
late in November for the benefit of tourists. Due to the sunny weather, Santa Claus, wearing swimming briefs and
sunglasses, is normally spotted surfing, jet skiing, paragliding and sailing.
It is believed that he delivers his gifts using an old fashioned Maori canoe. Christmas
in New Zealand is a sunny, fun filled experience that is unlikely to be seen in
many parts of the globe. The landscape is bright and colorful, overflowing with
fragrant blooms combined with happy Christmas cheers. Since Christmas in New
Zealand falls in the midst of summer, it is a perfect time to venture out and
enjoy some outdoor activities such as snorkeling, diving, paragliding,
sunbathing, volleyball, hot air balloon rides etc. Obviously, Christmas is a
great way for the New Zealanders to make up for all the sports that they out
each year. When you are bored of the usual snowball fights and sleigh rides,
you know it's time to take a trip to the other end of the globe and experience
a unique Christmas vacation. However, Christmas in New Zealand is not all about
sandy beaches and barbecues; it is also a rich cultural experience.
Литература
1. Solutions, Oxford University Press, 2008, Tim Falla, Paul A Davies
2. http://www.christmasnite.com/christmas-traditions/new-zealand.htm
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