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A collage of D*List contributors and their whānau, alongside Santa and Christmas ornaments

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A collage of D*List contributors and their whānau, alongside Santa and Christmas ornaments

How we celebrate the festive season

From sticking a candle into fruit pudding to a bonfire to bingeing TV shows in bed, here's how some of our friends from The D*List community mark this time of the year.

  • How we celebrate the festive season
    The D*List
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  • With the festive season upon us, we asked some friends from our D*List community how they celebrate this time of the year.

Ari Kerssens (right) pictured with his friend Daniel. There is a tent behind them and they are dressed up for a toga party.

  • Ari Christmas
  • Ari Kerssens - Tāmaki Makaurau 

    In 2019, I first went to Vinegar Hill for their annual rainbow gathering with events running from boxing day to new years - and I've been back every year since! The people I met there became chosen family, we’re super close even though we live all around New Zealand. It's wholesome, it's hilarious, there's a NYE bonfire with a stage and performances, it's a real community. One camp called Ryan's Kitchen serve up free meals for the community over the festival, and you can drop in anytime for a cuppa and a chat with a fabulously random assortment of people. Every year, Ryan's Kitchen hosts a Christmas lunch where my white-bearded friend Calum plays Santa, and the laughs go on well into the evening.

Hope Cotton pictured with her brother Charlie, mum Lisa and sister Grace. 

  • Hope Christmas
  • Hope Cotton - Te Whanganui-a-Tara

    It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas holds so much nostalgia for me. From sticking a candle on fruit pudding and singing happy birthday to Jesus, to playing with nativity figurines as they explored the treacherous terrain of the Christmas tree, Christmas created many happy memories. Being the only Deaf person at the dinner table has always been a little awkward, but as I grow older, Christmas gets more complicated. My grandmother's paper mache wise men, who once stood so staunchly, now wobble precariously, held together with questionable glue gun skills. I spend less time writing to Santa, and more time navigating scheduling conflicts and extended family dramas.

    My wish list now includes an ironing board, and my religious trauma can bring up some complex emotions during the holiday season. But although Christmas is now bittersweet, I can't wait to crack out a fruit cake and candles with my family. The perfect childhood Christmas is a thing of the past, but I've learned to treasure the imperfections.

    The older I get, the faster time flies and the more I value my grandmother's eccentric stories, cooking with Dad, watching Hallmark movies with Mum (captioned of course) and gossiping with my siblings. Christmas is no longer about Santa, presents or food (though I do love the food), but about time with the people I love most, however hectic that time may be.

A photo depicting EJ's Christmas essentials, including medication, snacks likes nuts and muesli bars and electrolyte drinks.

  • EJ Christmas
  • EJ Barrett - Taranaki 

    Christmas is a hard time for me. I have many hard memories around it, and my chronic illnesses all flare up at once over the warmer months, often putting me in hospital or in bed over Christmas holidays. I'm usually alone on Christmas because of this, so I find contentment in the day by making sure I’ve got really engaging media to consume, lots of high protein snacks and electrolytes stored by my bed, and my phone charged in case I need help. Media is how I stay connected to society, so I'm saving Down For Love (TVNZ) and Rūrangi (Māori+) for Christmas. 

Elinor Niha pictured with Santa Claus. 

  • Elinor Christmas
  • Elinor Niha (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine) - Whangārei 

    Christmas is meant to be happy and jolly but this year isn't the same as it used to be as we lost two immediate members of our whanau this year. Firstly my one and only brother then in a matter of days our Matriarch of our whanau our mum. So for me this year it is not about receiving or giving presents, it's about looking in front of me and being present to those around me because life is too precious and short. It's about spending time with family and friends and making the most memories of the Christmas season.

An illustration of Christmas ornaments by Ruby Jones. The ornaments include a yellow crescent moon, a pohutukawa, a blue ribbon and a gift wrapped in red gingham wrapping paper. 

  • Ruby Christmas
  • Ruby Jones - Te Whanganui-a-Tara

    Every year as part of our presents, my mum gives my brother and I a really beautiful Christmas tree decoration she’s chosen especially for each of us. Each one has a tiny little label attached with our name and the year written on it. It might not sound like a lot but it makes the tree decorating part of Christmas feel really special, and it means she’s with us every year wherever in the world we’re celebrating Christmas.

Ite Lemalu, standing in the back right with a blue shirt, is pictured with his whānau at Christmas.

  • Ite Christmas
  • Ite Lemalu - Tāmaki Makaurau 

    The festive season is a time of fellowship and rest, but every so often I feel a sense of nostalgia. Christmas was an exciting time growing up. Seeing presents under the tree, attending family gatherings, and watching movies was exhilarating. I’ve tried to recapture those feelings but have long outgrown them. These days, beginning with Christmas services, and then a family BBQ, I realise how time has flown by when I look around at my family; my nieces and nephews are very dear to me. I had a great childhood, and my wish is for theirs to be even better.

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