Revealing about New Zealand people and culture

New Zealanders and Vietnamese people have many differences in culture, thinking, lifestyle, cuisine... If you are planning to study in New Zealand, the article below will help you have a comprehensive view of the people and interesting life in the kiwi country

The beautiful island nation of New Zealand is a dream destination for many Vietnamese students.

1. New Zealand Personality

1.1. Friendly and liberal

New Zealand is a country that intersects many different cultures and national identities. That's why the native New Zealanders here are close, friendly and always happy to welcome visitors from other countries. New Zealanders can start friendships easily and are willing to help if you need help.

So, if you encounter any difficulties or problems, international students should not hesitate to ask New Zealanders!

New Zealand Culture: The Intersection of Tradition and Modernity

1.2. Compliance with the principle

New Zealanders are famous for their calm lifestyle, not too boisterous, and extremely principled. They have the habit of living at home every evening and usually do not go out on the street when the clock strikes 18 o'clock - 19 o'clock, go to bed at 22 o'clock. Therefore, international students arriving in New Zealand for the first time cannot help but be surprised by the empty roads when it is just dark. However, on weekends, people still gather to have parties or go to bars until morning.

New Zealanders prefer a calm, light, not too noisy life.

New Zealanders here prefer an active and healthy lifestyle.

1.3. Smart and creative

New Zealand owns a progressive education, encouraging and creating conditions for New Zealanders to learn and be creative from an early age. According to statistics, half of the population between the ages of 15 and 29 in New Zealand has a college or university degree.

This country also owns many universities with high teaching quality in the top 3% of the world such as: The University of Auckland, University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Canterbury...

1.4. Respect for multi-ethnic cultures

As mentioned above, New Zealand is a culturally diverse country with the 5 most popular ethnic groups: New Zealand, Chinese, Indian, European, and Maori. Therefore, they always respect and welcome guests from all over the world.

2. Indigenous Culture - Aboriginal Maori

The Maori were the first people to explore and live in the beautiful island of New Zealand with a history of about 1200 years. Currently, the Maori people make up 15.1% of the total population and their language is the second main language in the country after English.

A characteristic feature of the Maori cultural identity is tattooing patterns on the face with knives made from sharp bones, shark teeth, or stones. They claim that these tattoos help the Maori man become stronger, more fierce in fights, and attractive to women.

The traditional way of greeting the Maori people is also very special. They touched each other's noses and ended their greetings by holding hands. The meaning of this ritual is to impart the breath of life to each other. In addition, international students who come to New Zealand for the first time will be surprised to see Maori people in a state of wide-eyed and tongue-in-cheek. Actually, this is how they show their kindness when welcoming visitors.

New Zealand's Cultural Festivals

3. The language of the New Zealanders

New Zealand has 2 official languages, Maori and English. Maori is a long-standing language that expresses the cultural beauty and unique identity of this beautiful country. If you intend to study abroad, work for a long time or settle in New Zealand, don't forget to explore Maori to learn more about the culture and easily integrate with the natives.

Meanwhile, English began to appear in New Zealand in the 19th century, when New Zealand was a British colony. Today, English has become the lingua franca and is more widely spoken than Maori. However, the Maori language remains an integral part of the country's cultural identity.

4. Traditional New Zealand cuisine

If you have the opportunity to set foot in the beautiful land of New Zealand, don't forget to enjoy Hagi stone grill - a traditional Maori dish. People prefer seafood and sweet potatoes, or meats such as chicken, pork, lamb combined with other tubers. The food is grilled on hot stones placed in deep underground pits, covered with layers of stones and leaves so that the food cooks evenly but still retains its delicious taste.

The culinary flavors in this beautiful country are extremely diverse, easily satisfying any fastidious guest. Famous dishes that you can't miss such as: sweet Pavlova, delicious Hapuka rolls, rich Salmon rolls...

Sweet Pavlova cake is a favorite dish of New Zealanders.

In addition, New Zealand is also home to many of the world's best wines, most notably Sauvignon Blanc. International students can also enjoy world-famous coffee in Wellington.

5. New Zealanders' favorite sport

Rugby is the most beloved sport by New Zealanders. You can easily see small groups playing this sport in school grounds or sports centers.

In addition, New Zealanders also love many other outdoor activities such as golfing, skiing, climbing, skydiving, boating, etc.

6. New Zealand Festivals

The most special feature of New Zealanders' festive culture is celebrating Christmas in the summer. Because summer in this beautiful island country lasts from December to February. Therefore, instead of fireplaces, white snow, and cozy parties like what we often see in other countries, New Zealanders celebrate Christmas outdoors, camping, immersing themselves in vibrant folk dances...

New Zealand celebrates Christmas in a brilliant summer.

In addition, international students can participate in other festivals to learn about the unique customs of New Zealanders, such as:

Maori Traditional Performing Arts Festival:

The festival is held for 3 days in February and every 2 years with the main purpose of spreading the unique culture and language of the Maori people. Coming to the festival, you will be delighted with the vibrant dance and colorful aboriginal costumes.

Winter Festivals in Queenstown:

The festival is held annually in July with interesting activities that attract domestic and foreign tourists such as: experiencing a cable car to see the panoramic view of the beautiful city of Queenstone in white snow, skiing at the majestic Coronet Peak... In addition, you can admire the vibrant dances or stone art sculptures...

Waitangi Celebrations:

The festival is held annually across the beautiful island nation of New Zealand to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1840. The Maori Aborigines perform the traditional blessing ceremony. In addition, you can enjoy a festival of music, dance, delicious food or soak up the lively atmosphere of the Auckland Horse Race in Wellington.

Christchurch Arts Festival:

The festival is held in July and August every year and showcases the unique beauty of the culture of the people of Christchurch. This is also the time of convergence of many famous singers and artists around the world.

7. Share 6 notes that international students should avoid when arriving in New Zealand

A YouTuber who is experiencing an interesting life in the beautiful island nation of New Zealand shared many interesting facts about the culture and people here. Those of you who plan to study in New Zealand should not miss it.

1 - Maori indigenous culture should not be disparaged: New Zealand attaches great importance to the traditional culture of the Maori Aborigines. This is most clearly shown in considering Maori as the official language of the people here. Today, many politicians of Maori descent hold important positions in Parliament. Therefore, international students must not offend the Maori culture in any way and avoid mentioning the Waitangi agreement with disparaging implications, saying that the Maori are the losers.

2 - Don't brag about yourself: New Zealanders value humble people and show an uncomfortable attitude to boasting.

3 – Don't compare New Zealand and Australia in any way: New Zealanders and Australians often don't have a favorable view of each other in many ways. Therefore, international students must absolutely not joke or compare these two countries in any form and should not say that New Zealand and Australia are one country.

4 – Don't stare at someone: New Zealanders value freedom and privacy. Therefore, the act of staring is considered impolite and offensive to the opposite person.

5 - Do not hold a baby in New Zealand without parental permission: If you hold or take pictures of your baby on your own, their parents think you are abusing their child and may call the police.

6 - Do not imitate or touch Maori sculptures: Maori people possess many beautiful works of art. They feel disrespected if you arbitrarily touch or imitate the actions and expressions of the works when standing next to them to take pictures,

In addition, for the process of studying in New Zealand to take place smoothly and smoothly, the first thing you need to do is to choose a reputable study abroad consulting unit. With more than 50 years of experience, IDP Education is the perfect choice, playing an important role in international education when helping more than 450,000 students successfully study abroad at schools in Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland.

IDP currently has a network of 80 international admissions offices in 30 different countries and is the official admissions representative of more than 600 prestigious schools in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. Besides, IDP is also the co-founder and organizer of the IELTS test worldwide, which will best support you to have a great study abroad experience!

Hopefully, the above article has brought you interesting information about New Zealand people. Since then, international students who have cherished many plans and ambitions when coming to the beautiful island nation of New Zealand can be more prepared in terms of knowledge and spirit before starting to integrate with New Zealand life and people.

IDP assists you in applying to study in New Zealand for free!

You can also participate in the Study Abroad Seminar organized by IDP, the consultants will help you choose a school, choose the right major and course, and Search for Scholarships to Study Abroad with a value of up to 100%. In addition to the existing offices in cities, you can consult through an online IDP office and access all online services anywhere.

To update more information about the latest information about international study abroad trends, you can access and follow the live stream, daily updated information at IDP Studying Abroad Fanpage and other social platforms of IDP such as IDP Studying Abroad YouTube or Tiktok IDP Studying Abroad.

Contact IDP for advice on studying in New Zealand today!