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Festivals and Celebrations

Matariki, Christmas, Easter and more recently Chinese New Year and Diwali are some of the festivals New Zealanders celebrate. Find out about our religious holidays, festivals, traditions and stories and their associated activities. SCIS no. 1816045

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Matariki

A selection of images on Matariki.

Matariki window art

Matariki window art

Christchurch City Library celebrates Matariki with window art.

Pasifika 2005

Pasifika Festival, New Zealand’s biggest Polynesian festival is celebrated every year in Auckland.

Māori language week

Māori language week

Poster advertising Māori language week from 21-27 July 2008.

Choral delight

Christchurch Youth Choir’s choral mid-winter concert.

Arts festivals: beginnings

What is a festival? A festival is a collection of arts and cultural events, which can include dance, music, theatre, lectures and exhibitions of every kind. In the 2010s festivals attract performer...

Chinese New Year festival

Chinese New Year festival

In the last quarter of the 20th century the idea of a multicultural New Zealand emerged. This expressed the view that people might have different backgrounds and cultural traditions yet still be fu...

Chinese New Year festival

Chinese New Year festival

Linda Lim, manager for Chinese New Year talks about the programme.

Taniwha and dragon festival

Taniwha and dragon festival

Traditional Maori and Chinese kites will fill the skies above the Orakei Marae for the first ever Taniwha and Dragon Festival. The Festival is a celebration of Maori and Chinese culture and their u...

International kite festival

International kite festival

Poster of the 1990 New Zealand International Kite Festival.

Boxing day 1877

Article on how Boxing Day was celebrated in 1877.

Children's Day 2010

Children's Day 2010

Families sit out in the sun enjoying activities on Children’s day.

Diwali celebrations

Article about the annual Diwali celebrations in Hamilton.

2009 food and wine festival

2009 food and wine festival

Food and wine festival in Te Awamutu organised by Lions.

Matariki festival 2016

Matariki festival 2016

The importance of kai in Matariki and its place in family gatherings.

Spectrum street art festival

Spectrum street art festival

Street art or art painted in public spaces.

All Blacks Celebrate with Auckland

All Blacks Celebrate with Auckland

Thousands of Aucklanders crammed into Victoria Park today for the official celebration of the All Blacks' victory at the Rugby World Cup...http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/288856/all-blacks-c...

Queen Victoria's golden jubilee

Queen Victoria's golden jubilee

Crowds flock to the streets of Nelson in June 1887 to watch the commemorative parade on Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne. In the second half of t...

Wellington celebrates 150 years

Wellington celebrates 150 years

Celebrations are in full swing in Wellington, as the city marks its 150th birthday as New Zealand's capital city.

Celebrating Hanukkah

Celebrating Hanukkah

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah usually occurs in December. It recalls the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem for Jewish worship, and involves the lighting of candles over eight days. Here, Da...

Muslims await new moon sighting

Muslims in New Zealand will celebrate the end of Ramadan on Tuesday, after the new moon proved elusive. The end of the holy month is marked by the lunar sighting.

Queenstown’s annual winter festival

Queenstown’s annual winter festival

It marks the traditional start of the snow season in the town and provides a substantial cash injection into the local economy.

Muslims celebrate Ramadan's end

Muslims celebrate Ramadan's end

Thousands of people across New Zealand have just celebrated the Islamic holiday of Eid.

Nambassa

Looks at one of New Zealand’s earliest music and culture festivals.

Rock music festivals

After a hesitant beginning in the early 1970s, rock festivals hit their stride with Nambassa, Sweetwaters and a string of smaller events in the early 1980s. Following a period of decline, festivals...

Easter service, Mount Victoria

Easter service, Mount Victoria

Crowd on Mount Victoria, Wellington attending an open air Easter service. Photographed by Sydney Charles Smith some time in the 1930s Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: ...

Blossom festival

Blossom festival

Film highlights of the 1955 Hastings Blossom Festival.

Tūhoe festival

Tūhoe festival

Every two years the Ngāi Tūhoe tribe holds a festival called Te Hui Ahurei. This draws many urban members back to the tribal area to renew their ties and enjoy cultural and sporting activities. In ...

Picnic at Titahi Bay

Picnic at Titahi Bay

Group picnicking at Titahi Bay beach, circa 1940s. Photograph taken by William Hall Raine. Subjects identified as: back row, left to right: Bob Raitt (senior) ; Mrs Mary Raitt ; man not known ; Al...

Hay’s Christmas parade

Hay’s Christmas parade

Santa parades were begun by department stores in the 1930s to launch the Christmas shopping season and promote their stores. They feature highly-decorated and fanciful floats, often inspired by pop...

War dancer with flaming torch

War dancer with flaming torch

Unidentified man from American Samoa performing a war dance with fire during the opening dance at the 7th Festival of Pacific Arts in Apia, Samoa. Photograph taken 10 September 1996 by Julia Brook...

A New Zealand feast

A New Zealand feast

Shows a scaffolding structure of triangular cross section (possibly conical plan), rising to a point. It has fifteen stages, on which figures are standing as they construct it. Crowds are gathered ...

Holding sparklers on Guy Fawkes night

Holding sparklers on Guy Fawkes night

Anne Herrington (left) and Tracy Kelly holding sparklers on Guy Fawkes Day in Wainuiomata, Wellington. Photograph taken 5 November 1971 by Evening Post staff photographer Ian Mackley. Quantity: 1 ...

Positively Pasifika festival 2013

Positively Pasifika festival 2013

Comprises photographs of the Positively Pasifika 2013:'We Are The Ocean' festival at Waitangi Park, Wellington, taken on 19 January 2013 by Dylan Owen. Shows Pacific Island (Polynesian) cultural pe...

Waitangi day flare-up

Waitangi day flare-up

Depicts a fire risk board as a hazard board which calculates the risk of trouble on Waitangi Day. it shows the risk is medium level. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Waitangi day 1973

On Waitangi Day 1973 Prime Minister Norman Kirk announced that from 1974, 6 February would be a public holiday, and would be called New Zealand Day. His intention was that all New Zealanders, regar...

Ngāti Kahungunu Waitangi Day festival

Hawke’s Bay has a high Māori population – 25.3% compared with 14.6% for New Zealand as a whole. Festivals based on dates and events important to Māori, such as Waitangi Day and Matariki, are popula...

Picnic near Ratanui

Picnic near Ratanui

War between Māori and Pākehā began in Taranaki over land, specifically Chief Wiremu Kingi Te Rangitake’s objection to the Pekapeka block of land (at Waitara) being sold to by another chief. As host...

Empire Day celebration

Empire Day celebration

Empire day selected to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria who died in 1901.

The New Zealand feast

The New Zealand feast

This print shows a pastoral Mount Hobson and Mount Eden, where a huge feast is being given by Waikato Chiefs in 1844. It was attended by about 4000 Māori and also many Pakeha. Food for the feast i...

St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day is on March 17 and its popularity here is a reflection of the number of Irish immigrants to New Zealand. St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland was born in Roman Britain. The St P...

Halloween poetry fun

Some spooky and funny poems on Halloween by Kenn Nesbitt.

Rangitaiki kapa haka

It's the first time that Kawerau has hosted the Rangitaiki kapa haka festival.

Islamic holidays and festivals

A brief outline of Islamic festivals which are mostly based around the Islamic calendar.

Dandiya is a dance associated with the Navratri, (nine nights of worship) an Indian Festival.

Festivals and special occasions

Describes the celebrations, festivals and special occasions that are celebrated around the world.

Ideal conditions for school picnic

Picnics were a popular means of celebration and socialisation in colonial New Zealand and also the first half of the 20th century. They were usually extended family, community or business events he...

Family activities and projects to enjoy at Easter time.

Top 10 Christian holidays

Christianity has given us heaps of holidays every year.

Jewish holidays and festivals

Explanations, study guides and multimedia links to all the Jewish festivals

Grown ups: festivals

Cultural and multicultural festivals celebrated by families in New Zealand.

Spring festivals around the world

Celebration and welcoming to spring in different parts of the world.

Trick or treating tips and etiquette

Halloween trick or treating requires (most of) the neighbourhood to embrace it.

Legends of Holi

The legends about the Hindu festival of Holi, the festival of colour.

A 1905 article about why children want to celebrate Guy Fawkes, whereas adults don’t.

The big chill and the big drill

What was the weather like in Antarctica and what kinds of animals lived there?

A documentary explaining the Hispanic tradition of journey into womanhood.

Video footage of the 2016 Splore festival.

Samoan White Sunday

Samoan community celebrating White Sunday.

Festival of lights

Pictures of activities associated with Taranaki’s festival of lights.

Festivals of light around the world

Lesson plans, downloads and information on how light festivals are celebrated around the world.

Hindu festivals

A list of the major Hindu festivals including Diwali.

A lesson plan to develop integrated skill around the topic of festivals.

Mocomi- festivals for kids

Mocomi provides interactive information on a wide range of world festivals.

Feasts and festivals

This e-book has descriptions and illustrations about festivals in Singapore.

A happy Christmas

A happy Christmas

The custom of greeting cards was said to have begun with the Chinese who exchanged New Year wishes and the Egyptians who conveyed wishes on papyrus. Handmade paper greeting cards were exchanged in ...

A celebration. The New Zealand Opera Company

A celebration. The New Zealand Opera Company

This commissioned painting was painted by Raymond Stanley Boyce for the New Zealand Opera Company. It is a painting of Donald Munro dressed as Count Almaviva in Mozart’s ‘The marriage of Figaro’. T...

Festive foods: Halloween

A gallery of items related to food recipes for Halloween.

Information and images featuring Wellington’s vibrant street festival.

Festivals and celebrations

Information and activities on a selection of festivals from cultures around the world.

Empire Day celebration

Empire day selected to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria who died in 1901.

Buddhist holidays and festivals

A brief outline of Buddhist festivals based around the lunar calendar.

Celebrations and festivals

Craft ideas and activities to celebrate festivals around the world.

Halloween. 2005.

Halloween. 2005.

Cartoon about Halloween and bird flu.

Labour Day

New Zealand was the first country to have an eight hour working day and our first Labour day was celebrated in 1890. It began in 1840 when immigrant Samuel Parnell refused to work for more than eig...

Rugby World Cup 2011 victory parade favourite

Rugby World Cup 2011 victory parade favourite

New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup in 2011 beating France 8-7. More than 60, 000 people attended the game at Eden Park in Auckland. It was certainly a night for festivities as people all over New ...

The Sikh Festivals

Important Sikh festivals and fairs celebrated around the world.

Food in every country

This site contains information about food from all around the world, including recipes.

Harvest festivals

Harvest festivals and how this is a celebration of thanksgiving in some countries.

Culture and food and ritual

An activity for students to learn the food rituals behind three different religious ceremonies.

28 Birthday traditions

Birthday traditions and important birthdays from around the world.

Eating a live Huhu grub at the Hokitika Wildfoods festival.

Click on the day to find festivals, holidays and celebrations around the world.

Peace celebrations

Peace celebrations

New Zealanders began to make plans to celebrate the end of the First World War on 12 November 1918 when news arrived that an armistice had been signed between the Allies and Germany. However events...

Many Answers has reviewed links to websites and database on speeches.

EPIC contains a number of databases with useful information related to New Zealand history and first contact between Polynesian, Māori and Pakeha including the Bridget Williams Books collections.

Where can I find information about Easter?

Christmas

Each country has its own unique way of celebrating Christmas. These resources cover traditions, carols, stories, crafts, food, symbols (Star of Bethlehem, mistletoe, Nativity scene, poinsettia) in...

Diwali

The Festival of Lights — Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness and the Indian New Year. Lakshmi Puja, Rangoli art, and celebration activities related to this popular Hindu festival a...

Matariki

The rise of the cluster of Pleiades in winter sky marks the beginning of the Māori New Year. Understand the significance, traditions, and how Matariki is celebrated in New Zealand through kai like ...