A summary of New Zealanders’ customs, habits and taboos

?New Zealand’s customs are similar to those in other European and American countries. The pace of life in New Zealand is very slow and people’s lives are very limited. There are high welfare, easy work and pressure, and people’s quality of life is relatively high. They like horse racing and rugby. , of course, like Christians, they hate 13th and Friday. ? 1. Summary of New Zealand Customs and Habits ? New Zealand is a multi-ethnic country, with European descendants predominating. It is deeply influenced by Europe, America and Australia, and its lifestyle and habits are basically Westernized. ? The pace of life of New Zealanders is relatively slow, and people’s lives are relatively leisurely. Open markets and abundant commodities give people of different classes a wide range of choices. But in terms of overall consumption level, New Zealanders are pursuing high-end products, and their shopping tends to be brand-name and fashionable. ? New Zealanders generally have a relatively high quality of life and are usually very particular about clothing, food, housing and transportation. Most of them like outdoor sports. In addition to horse racing, they also especially like rugby. ? New Zealanders believe in equality. In New Zealand, people can make appointments with ministers and mayors at any time. As long as they find a good reason, almost anyone can meet the Prime Minister. ? In New Zealand, cars drive on the left, just like in the UK. The sidewalk is also divided by a center line, with traffic in two rows, and pedestrians also walk on the left. ? New Zealanders regard the kiwi as a national symbol. New Zealand is the only country in the world that has kiwis, so kiwis are very cherished. ? When New Zealanders meet guests in social situations, they generally use a handshake. They also bowed, but their bowing method was unique, with their heads held high and their chests held high. ? For people with the same status as yourself, you should use "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Miss" when calling your surname. However, New Zealanders often call each other by their first name after meeting once or twice. ? New Zealanders are optimistic by nature and like to beautify the environment. They have a lot of space and time, and most of them are used for gardening activities and tidying up the environment. They tend to be conservative in character and are not used to contact with strangers, but once they get to know each other, they will quickly eliminate the barriers and even become good friends. ? When they interact with good friends, they do not ask the other party to send expensive gifts. As long as they have a box of chocolates or a bottle of whiskey, they feel happy and satisfied. In addition to their busy work, New Zealanders ingeniously organize various interesting clubs to entertain themselves physically and mentally and explore knowledge. Such as: "Vegetarian Club?", "Twins Club", "Rationalism Club", and even "Spoon Club" and so on. It is said that such activities have become an indispensable and important part of the traditional life of New Zealanders, and everyone feels honored to participate in such club activities. ? New Zealanders generally have special feelings for dogs and regard dogs as "lifelong companions" and "guardians of the shepherd". They have always cherished the kiwi, regard the kiwi as a symbol of the nation, and regard it as the national bird. They prefer drinking fern and regard it as a national symbol. ? The Maori manner of etiquette is unique and unique in the world. When guests from afar come to visit, Maori people hold a grand welcome party. At the beginning, the venue was silent, with people lining up on both sides. Suddenly, a shirtless and barefooted middle-aged man walked out of the queue. He first shouted, and then sang loudly. As soon as the song ended, the girls danced gracefully to the euphemistic low-pitched singing. They wore red and black, bright and eye-catching national costumes, and hand-woven linen skirts swayed gently with the dance steps. The young men were full of heroism, shouting and jumping. They threw their swords on the ground to see if the person coming was a friend or an enemy. The ceremony to welcome the distinguished guests reached its climax. The guests and hosts sang and danced together, talked about friendship, and were immersed in joy. Visitors to Wellington or other parts of New Zealand often encounter this touching scene. ? 1. When interacting with a woman, the woman reaches out her hand first, and then the man can hold her hand. ? 2. When meeting for the first time, people with the same status call each other by their last names, and add "Mr.", "Mrs.", "Miss", etc. After getting acquainted, they call each other by their first names. ? 3. New Zealanders have a strong sense of time. Appointments must be agreed upon in advance and be on time. Guests can show respect to the host by arriving a few minutes early. Conversations can include topics such as climate, sports (such as rugby and cricket, which are particularly popular among New Zealanders), domestic and foreign politics, tourism, etc. Avoid talking about personal affairs, religion, race and other issues. ? 4. When invited to a New Zealander's home, you can give the male host a box of chocolates or a bottle of whiskey, and the female host a bouquet of flowers. Gifts don’t have to be excessive or expensive. ? 5. The traditional way of greeting each other among the Maori people is to rub each other's noses. ? 6. New Zealanders don’t like noisy and pretentious people. ? 7. Cover your mouth when yawning. Chewing gum or using toothpicks in public is considered uncivilized behavior. ? 8. When taking photos of people, especially Maori people, you must ask for permission first. ? 2. Summary of taboos of New Zealanders ? Influenced by Christianity and Catholicism, New Zealanders hate "13" and "Friday". If this day falls on both the 13th and Friday, New Zealanders will be on tenterhooks no matter what they do.

New Zealanders adhere to the so-called "non-interventionism", which means they are indifferent to the political stance, religious beliefs, job levels, etc. of those they interact with. They are more averse to other domestic racial issues and to seeing New Zealand as part of Australia. Generally speaking, New Zealanders are taboo against building or living in densely populated housing. They are more reserved and conservative in the interactions between men and women, and have various rules and regulations. New Zealanders are taboo against mixed-gender activities. Even if they go to the theater or a movie, men and women must sit in separate venues. ? The Maori believe in primitive religion and believe in the immortality of the soul, so they are very taboo about taking photos and videos. They also tabooed admitting elderly or critically ill people to hospitals. Because they believed that only sinners or slaves died outside their homes. Maori chiefs have absolute power, and both themselves and their property are taboo. Civilians must not violate or invade, otherwise they will be executed.