Merry & bright

Asnowy white Christmas is something most Kiwis find difficult to envisage; after all, we’re busy enjoying backyard barbecues, camping trips and walks on the beach come December 25. So when New Zealander Mary-Ellen Hinton stayed in Germany as an exchange student, she was enchanted to experience a storybook snow-clad Christmas come to life, and it made a lasting impression.

“Germans have the most amazing Christmas traditions – the trees, the decor, the markets,”