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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.

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...

International kite festival

International kite festival

Poster of the 1990 New Zealand International Kite Festival.

Children's Day 2010

Children's Day 2010

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

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...

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 ...

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...

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

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...

Empire Day celebration

Empire Day celebration

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

Rangitaiki kapa haka

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

Festivals and special occasions

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

Family activities and projects to enjoy at Easter time.

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.

A documentary explaining the Hispanic tradition of journey into womanhood.

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 ...

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.

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.

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...

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 ...

Countries of the World

Countries of the World

Each country in the world is distinct in its own way. This topic covers countries and their geography, history, government, demographics, economy, trade, culture, literature, education, anthem, fla...

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is China’s longest holiday. This topic covers its significance, customs, traditions, festivities, mythology, Chinese zodiac, lantern festivals and Chinese New Ye...

Cultural festivals celebrated in New Zealand

Cultural festivals celebrated in New Zealand

A selection of images of various cultures celebrating their festivals in New Zealand.

Hākari stage

This giant hākari (feast) stage was in the Bay of Islands in 1849. These stages could hold significant amounts of food and were an important way to illustrate the wealth, in food, of a local tribe.

Day of the Dead procession, November 2013

Day of the Dead procession, November 2013

Comprises views of participants in the Day of the Dead waterfront parade in Wellington on 2 November 2013, taken by Dylan Owen. Photographs show groups of people wearing face paint depicting Mexica...

This lesson plan for teachers explores the theme of festivals.

Blossom festival

Footage from 1955 showing decorated floats celebrating the annual Greater Hastings Blossom Festival.

Film Festival 2015

A collection of stories, interviews and ephemera about movies covered by Radio New Zealand during 2015.

Thanksgiving in North America

A history of Thanksgiving in America.

Christmas in the Archives

Celebrate Christmas with some festive records from Archives Ne Zealand.

Festivals and celebrations (New Zealand)

This page from Many Answers will guide you to reviewed websites and databases on festivals and celebrations.

Ranfurly Shield victory in 1957

Taranaki turns out to celebrate their rugby teams’ victory of the Ranfurly Shield victory in 1957.

Multiculturalism (TMCC17)

Use this curiosity card and the fertile questions to inspire curiosity about multiculturalism in New Zealand.

60 Years of the Royal New Zealand Ballet

Memories, images and videos celebrating RNZB's 60th birthday party.

Why do Americans and Canadians celebrate Labour Day?

A look at the history of Labour Day from Union Square till today.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with fiestas, music, and dance

The celebration of Cinco de Mayo in Mexico. Find this article in New Zealand Geographic, available through EPIC. School login maybe required.

Scarecrows and space. Ready to Read Curriculum level: 2; Jan 2010

A report on how Gladstone School made scarecrows for the Gladstone Scarecrow festival.

Find more information on this topic on EPIC. Databases recommended: Britannica School, National Geographic Kids, Middle School (Gale in Context). School login maybe required.

Kapa haka festival. School Journal: Year 4 Part 01 No. 02: 2009

A school decides to hold its own hapa haka festival when the local festival gets cancelled. School login will be needed.

Māori Language week

A celebration of learning Māori, to secure it as a living and dynamic language of New Zealand.

Spring festival – lesson plan and activity

Students will be introduced to new vocabulary and read about 4 spring festivals from around the world.

Hokitika Wildfoods Festival

Food on menu includes brain and snouts.

Muslim Holidays

Learn more about the holidays Muslims celebrate.

Buddhist Holidays

An Illustrated Calendar of Buddhist Holidays.

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 ...

Dancers at the Irish national feis

Dancers at the Irish national feis

Almost every culture in the world has their own form of dance. These are reflected in traditional costumes, music and dance steps. Dances is performed for many reasons such as, to tell stories, cel...

New Zealand's traditional Māori kai festivals

Māori kai food festivals are popular in Aotearoa New Zealand.

A 1933 school picnic

Picnics were a popular means of celebration and socialisation in New Zealand in the first half of the 20th century. Picnics took place in parks, forests, beside rivers and the sea.

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 ...

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, back in 2013. The Festival is a celebration of Maori and Chinese cultu...

Positively Pasifika festival 2013

Photographs of the Positively Pasifika 2013:'We Are The Ocean' festival at Waitangi Park, Wellington, 2013.

Top results for Festivals and Celebrations from AnyQuestions

Festivals and celebrations (New Zealand)

Festivals and celebrations (New Zealand)

New Zealand observes many different festivals and celebrations throughout the year. These include arts , music and...

Senior Primary

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is now one of the world's most celebrated...

Senior Secondary

Diwali (festival of lights)

Diwali (festival of lights)

Diwali, known as the Hindu Festival of Lights has been celebrated for more than 2,500 years. It falls in either...

Senior Primary

Matariki (junior)

Matariki (junior)

Matariki is the Māori name for the star cluster also known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. The Matariki cluster can...

Junior Primary

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