A Christmas Connection with New Zealand

Kia Ora from the Maple class!

We’re excited to share a unique perspective on Christmas—one from the other side of the world! While we're gearing up for frosty mornings, woolly jumpers, and hot chocolates, our friends in Room 12, New Zealand, are preparing for sunny beaches, camping trips, and summer adventures during their Christmas holidays.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been learning about New Zealand, or Aotearoa in Māori, and exchanging emails with Room 12. They shared so much about their culture, school life, and favourite pastimes. Did you know that Christmas in New Zealand marks the beginning of their summer holidays? Instead of snow, their festive season is filled with barbecues, trips to the beach, and enjoying delicious treats like pavlova, fresh seafood, and Duck Island ice cream.

We were also fascinated to learn about their traditional Māori culture. Some students in Room 12 practice Kapa Haka (traditional Māori performing arts), and they sing beautiful waiata (songs) like Pepeha and Nae ra te Kopapa.

Our class loved comparing life in Ireland to life in New Zealand. Their school uniforms include red polo shirts, and they can even go barefoot in the summer—something we found very different from our cold winter mornings. They also play exciting games during fitness time, like Octopus and Infinity Tag.

We’ve been inspired by their love of nature, culture, and community. And while they dream of visiting places like Ireland, Paris, and Rome, we’ve added some of their favourite spots, like Rotorua and Queenstown, to our travel wish lists.

As we prepare for our wintery Christmas break, we can’t help but feel a little warmth knowing that our friends in Room 12 are enjoying sunny skies. Christmas may look very different in New Zealand, but the spirit of sharing, connection, and celebration is universal.

Ngā mihi nui (thank you) to Room 12 for sharing their world with us! We wish them a Merry Christmas full of sunshine and adventure.