Playing sport can be hugely competitive, as people vie to achieve greatness.

It's about love rather than money for the people behind some of the country's most extravagant Christmas light displays.

Cruising the skies in a flying boat was reserved for the wealthy and glamorous back in the 1950s.

If you're not sure what to get Dad this Christmas, Andrew Alderson has a few ideas of the literary kind.

The Sallies are absolutely right to request that donations be pristine and new because there are some people in our community who are truly evil, Kerre writes.

Auckland Airport is giving away $120,000 to Kiwi charities as part of its 12 Days of Christmas initiative.

Massey University experts have released their 12 days of Christmas summer survival tips to help everyone stay sane, healthy and alive this festive season.

At the end of the month it's Christmas, and I think the majority of New Zealanders will be spending it at their holiday home in Maui, writes Steve Braunias.

The new John Lewis (UK department store) Christmas TV advert with The Man on The Moon. This is the story of a young girl called Lily. Looking at the moon through the family telescope one night, she's amazed at what she finds... a man on the moon. Lily watches as he goes about his chores, all alone up there. She becomes determined to get something to the moon, to send him a message and show him that someone down here is thinking of him. Source: John Lewis/YouTube

Kiwi families searching for help this Christmas may be left with empty stockings for their kids if Kmart's Wishing Tree appeal falls short.

Kiwi kids have bombarded Santa with tens of thousands of letters, and high-tech toys top the list.

Can there be goodwill toward Islam? I believe there can be goodwill, but this will require us to look beyond the likes of Isis and al-Qaeda, writes Zain Ali.

Consumer New Zealand has looked at some of the pre-made desserts on our supermarket shelves.

You can host a Christmas to savour without leaving the comfort of your home with our ultimate online shopping guide for the festive season.

COMMENT: When Kerre McIvor heard woman in Britain decided to refuse breast cancer treatment for fear it would make her fat, it left her feeling sad.

An Auckland church has partnered with a host of sponsors to pack 10,000 food hampers for people in need this Christmas.

COMMENT: Do your children dream of receiving water balloons and unicorns for Christmas? Get real, Diana Clement writes.

The organiser of a Christmas Wonderland event says she's "devastated" after some disappointed parents claimed they wasted their time at the event on Sunday.

More than half of Kiwis are saving and buying Christmas presents throughout the year to ease the pressures coming up to the festive season, a MasterCard survey revealed.

The drones are yet to take over, but they're gaining popularity on the list of most-searched-for Christmas gift items on Trade Me.

Salvation Army volunteers are bracing themselves for a bumper Christmas - of assistance to families facing a struggle to keep afloat through the season of goodwill.

From 3 to 83, the Farmers Santa Parade delighted everyone who turned out on a sunny day in Auckland.

Christmas Day is less than four weeks away and the busy silly season is kicking in.

Christmas has come early for sick kids at Starship as Maria Tutaia delivered a special supply of New World's "Little Christmas" collectibles.

Kerre writes about NZ's reaction to the story about banning Christmas.

BIG DEBATE: Dame Susan Devoy says she isn't the Grinch while Bishop Ross Bay warns of the dangers of expunging "Christmas" from migrants' vocabulary.

It's really about the community coming together. Farmers' founder Robert Laidlaw was a Christian man but he never made the parade religious.

A leading Auckland migrant settlement agency is avoiding the word Christmas and will instead be talking about "happy holidays" and "season's greetings".