FOR Muslims Mohamed Zewada, Asmaa Ibrihm and their three children, Christmas Day will be just another day of the year.
Mr Zewada is imam at the Hastings mosque and he will go to his place of work, as will many others in the Muslim community, to hold prayers five times and give speeches throughout the day.
They arrived in New Zealand from Egypt in August 2007 and will still stock up this holiday season for Christmas decorations, which will be kept packed away until next year's Muslim celebrations of EID - which signify the end of Ramadan fasting.
"The people in New Zealand, my understanding [is] they don't actually take it from a religious point of view but it is a matter of culture. It's just an event, a kind of occasion, for families to get together and spend time and enjoy," Mr Zewada said.
Despite not celebrating the occasion due to their faith, Mr Zewada and his family will share gifts.