KEY POINTS:
Apologies to those who have decried the commercialisation of Christmas in NZ, but I must say I like the way it is celebrated here.
Some correspondents have written to condemn how non-religious Christmas has become and even expressed shock that the popularity of Santa surpassed that of Jesus
in a Reader's Digest poll last month.
"Has the country forgotten the core reason for having this festival is to celebrate the birth of Christ?" asked Robert Densem, who expressed sadness at respondents who listed going to church and carols by candlelight as Christmas turn-offs.
Another writer, J.L. McKeown, was critical of the media, saying reports often overlooked carol services and productions about Jesus' birth.
Therefore, it failed to reflect the reality of what Christmas meant to the two million here who held Christian beliefs.
Extending Christmas celebrations beyond religion is a good thing. Christmas has morphed into a celebration with such a mass universal secular appeal that it is no longer just a religious day of observation for Christians, but a festival celebrated by all four million New Zealanders.
I like the decorations that deck the malls and how shopping hours are extended in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
I also like writing Christmas cards and sending them by snail mail in this email age, and organising and attending parties.
The Santa parade and Christmas in the Park have also become part of our family Christmas tradition.
Commenting on the Reader's Digest survey, Dr Jeremy Robertson, acting director of Victoria University's Roy McKenzie Centre for Study of Families, said it was because of New Zealand's increasing diversity that Christmas traditions here had changed.
The survey found Christmas was all about the family. Respondents said they cherished celebrating with family, decorating the tree as a family and buying all the family a present.
Like many immigrants, I look forward to this time of the year because it is when family from overseas visit.
This year, my sister-in-law is here with her dad and two sons from Singapore for a month-long holiday. Through them, I see a New Zealand Christmas through fresh sets of eyes.
It is refreshing to see how things we take for granted, such as freshly cut Christmas trees and even Christmas pudding and whole legs of ham on supermarket shelves, excite visitors and how these represent what Christmas is all about.
"It's like what we read about in story books," said my 9-year-old nephew on his first day here.
It is a good thing that Christmas has become a celebration where even non-Christians can be so much a part of it. I have been invited to a Hindu family's Christmas party and to a multicultural Christmas lunch hosted by the Auckland Regional Migrant Services.
I never really celebrated Christmas when I was young. Growing up as a non-Christian, my family didn't really celebrate Christmas. And even if we did have a Christmas Day lunch, it would likely be chicken curry.
Turkey and Christmas puddings were things we saw in the movies and read about in story books.
Even after I became a Catholic in my teenage years, Christmas was more about Midnight Mass and parties with friends, rather than decorating trees with family and shopping for presents. With children of my own now, I see Christmas as a wonderful time to teach them about the deeper spiritual meaning of the season and how giving presents serves as a reminder of when God gave mankind the ultimate gift of his son on Christmas Day.
My non-Christian sister-in-law is able to give presents to illustrate the importance of caring and sharing without incorporating the religious elements.
Christmas is a time when we remember those dear to us. For immigrants without their extended family members here, this is a time when they can feel alone and lonely.
I have been told about how depressed some people get over the festive season, and I feel truly sorry for them. I remember how alone I felt when my wife and kids went back to Singapore for Christmas two years ago and I couldn't join them because of work.
Watching other families doing things together added to that feeling so I organised my own party and invited friends. The Kiwi concept of bring-a-plate kept costs to a minimum.
But I also like how the noisy commercialism shuts down on Christmas Day, allowing us to reflect on the quiet message of Christmas. For Christians, it is the story of Jesus' birth. And for the non-believers, a day to think about and spend time with those dear to them.