My household and I were extremely privileged to celebrate Christmas in a paradise; a new country that we call “home” now.

Some people held a braai on the beach with family and friends, while children played boisterously outside in the beautiful parks that New Zealand offer.

An old-fashioned charm prevailed in New Zealand; the streets were covered in lights and malls were coordinated very well and offered something for young and old. The smell of ginger cakes and candy also immediately got one in the mood for Christmas. Over here, fireworks are also blasted off during Christmas.

As a household that moved to New Zealand, we didn’t change our traditions, and also not our religion. Even though we were on our own for the first time this past Christmas – without our parents and brother – we did things a bit different.

A lot of South Africans which I know rather wanted a white, cold Christmas and were therefore not on the island. Others had family in New Zealand that visited them, while fiends of ours went on a cruise. It was clearly a Christmas during which everyone did something else in another place.

But a lot of us still keep the original traditions close to our heart. I am one of them, because I love my children so much. My husband also always thinks of a million things for us to do. Some of these traditions I learnt from my parents. As such, we could celebrate the perfect Christmas and at the same time also show my children how much they mean to me. Buying presents and wrapping them, taking a photo with Santa, erecting the Christmas tree, decorating the house in a Christmas theme, cooking meals (including the starter, main course and dessert), baking birthday cake and decorating it with my kids; that is indeed how I teach my children about the birthday of Jesus, and it is also the nicest time of the year for them too.

As a household, we enjoy the morning church service with all the songs as well. However, we try not to teach our children the Afrikaans word “Kersvader” (Christmas Father); to us there is only one father and that is God alone; no other father will take His place and that is why we use the word Santa, even though he is only the red round uncle rewarding children that behaved themselves with presents.

But this was our first Christmas in New Zealand; we haven’t yet linked up with a new church. However, we have been visiting numerous churches, but first wanted to spend time together as a household. The day before Christmas, we took the children to a public swimming pool; it was so nice, and so clean and tidy. On Christmas Eve, we went to see Christmas lights in the popular Franklin Road in Auckland; we easily walked for two hours and viewed the beautifully decorated houses. Some of the homes displayed the most beautiful angels, others deers, and then there was the Auckland lighthouse that was decorated like a candy cone, made possible by illumination. People played complimentary music at their front gates, though you could give a donation if you wanted to. It was so beautiful when Silent night was performed via a harp. My children extremely enjoyed it.

We bought something for the children, but clearly Santa forgot that we moved to New Zealand, seeing as it wasn’t wrapped. We couldn’t wrap this time, so “he” simply left it in front of their room doors. We also bought the children Christmas cake, or “birthday cake”. Even though we did less, the festive season was still perfect, because we were together. However, we still waited on the container containing all our furniture, but that didn’t stop us from celebrating Christmas.

And thanks to contemporary technology, we could Skype the family in South Africa. It does our children a lot of good when they can frequently talk to and see their grandparents, albeit on a computer screen.

2017 was a new adventure, a new beginning in a new country. But it once again reminded us that even though we like our original traditions so much, the spirit of Christmas will never be lost. Because all the important memories start at home with the people you love the most.