Tag: Christmas

Seasonal sounds from our CD collection

Vaughan

It’s almost Christmas, and amongst other things that means Christmas songs have started to fill the airwaves. It’s easy to roll your eyes at the prospect, but there is actually a great deal more to Christmas music than “All I Want for Christmas is You” (nothing against Mariah’s seasonal juggernaut, if it’s your preferred Christmas jam we do have it on Merry Christmas / Carey, Mariah).

A wide variety of artists have recorded Christmas albums, the following is just a sampling of what is available at Wellington City Libraries. They range from fairly straightforward collections of seasonal standards to more personal and idiosyncratic affairs, to some which can only be described as very out of the box. Either way, if you’re looking for something to soundtrack your Christmas break, one of these might do the trick!

Ella wishes you a swinging Christmas / Fitzgerald, Ella
Christmas with the Rat Pack
The Christmas collection / Jackson 5
Christmas songs / Krall, Diana
Dr. Demento presents the greatest Christmas novelty CD of all time
Quality Street : a seasonal selection for all the family / Lowe, Nick
Tinsel and lights / Thorn, Tracey
One more drifter in the snow / Mann, Aimee
Christmas party / She & Him

Ella wishes you a swinging christmas Christmas with the rat pack The Christmas collection / Jackson 5

Christmas songs / Krall, Diana Dr. Demento presents the greatest Christmas novelty CD of all time Quality Street : a seasonal selection for all the family / Lowe, Nick

Tinsel and lights / Thorn, Tracey One more drifter in the snow / Mann, Aimee Christmas party / She & Him

 

Holiday hours for 2022/2023

wclstaff

A warm season’s greetings to all our library borrowers and visitors with best wishes for a happy holiday season. Here are the opening hours across all our libraries from Saturday 24 December 2022 to Monday 9 January 2023.

All our libraries will be closed 25 December, 26 December, New Year’s Day and 2 January, as well as December 27th and January 3rd. Between Christmas and New Year,  all library branches except He Matapihi Molesworth (closed until 9 January) will be open with reduced hours. See our holiday timetable for details.

He Matapihi Molesworth will reopen and resume their regular hours on Monday 9 January (when the National Library reopens after their holiday closure period).

Of course our eLibrary will be available throughout the holiday period! This includes eBooks, eMagazines and streaming movies to keep you entertained, along with newspapers & eMagazines in PressReader. Happy holidays everyone!

Christmas table sorted

Xinxin

Read these popular recipes and save time preparing for the big Christmas cooking marathon. From traditional Christmas food to Instagrammable cake decorations, this selection of delicious recipes will take your stomach on a joy ride!

The Christmas table
“The Christmas table: festive menus & table crafts to celebrate the season in style. Planning the Christmas Day feast is an enjoyable thing to do each year for either a small or a large gathering of friends and family. This book showcases ways of organising the perfect menu, with  many fabulous recipes to choose from. Also, there are beautiful but simple suggestions for decorating the Christmas table with both modern and traditional themes.” (Catalogue)

Christmas express : quick, delicious & easy recipes for the festive season
“Preparing food for Christmas can often mean days of labour-intensive cooking. If you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is opening presents, then this book is for you. Using clever tricks and quality shortcuts, we show you how to create your favourite festive foods and flavours in a fraction of the time. It is all about spectacular food with minimum fuss. Enjoy over 100 illustrated recipes in this books.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Celebrating Christmas
“Over 100 new recipes to show off on Christmas Day and over the holidays make this a standout book to have and use for years to come or to give as a gift to a loved one. The fabulous recipes and ideas are right up to date and will guide the reader through the Christmas festive season. The book is themed by celebration opportunity- Christmas Eve Brunch Family Lunch Christmas Night Boxing Day There’s everything in this book that a home cook needs to know about the festive season.” (Catalogue)

Fill the tins : easy baking for home / Gray, Sophie
“This substantial, beautiful baking book gives you all the recipes and tips you need for successful home baking. Sophie Gray is an expert home baker with lots of helpful hints as well as a thorough and exciting range of recipes for every baking occasion. Including cakes and cupcakes; slices and tray bakes; bready things; pies and pastry; Christmas recipes; lunchbox stuff and more. Full of classic recipes plus fresh new tastes, this is the ONE baking book everyone needs to own.” (Adapted from Syndetic Summary)

Christmas basics : simple easy to follow recipes for the festive season
“This book is written by Pamela Clark, food write associated with Australian Women’s Weekly for 5o years. A lot of cooks come up with wondrous feasts at Christmas gatherings. This cookbook will teach you all the tricks for producing just about every recipe you’ve ever dreamed of that’s suitable for the holiday season. Included are tips, hints, accompaniments, time lines with photos to guide you through the many fabulous recipes.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Christmas with Kim-Joy : a festive collection of edible cuteness / Kim-Joy
“Kim-Joy’s baked creation was in the final of the Great British Bake Off 2018, and Baking with Kim-Joy was her bestselling debut book. Sharing her simple decorating techniques and delicious flavour, Kim-Joy will delight novice and seasoned bakers with her melted snowman cake pops, white chocolate igloos with marshmallow seals, penguin bao buns and incredible inspiration for designing your own magical gingerbread village.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Holiday Crafting and Baking with Kids / Strand, Jessica
“Holiday Crafting & Baking with Kids will bring the whole family together for some good holiday fun. It’s for every occasion: Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s, and Boxing Day! Step-by-step instructions, helpful templates, and color photos make it a cinch for little ones to follow along. Best of all, the materials and ingredients are inexpensive, easy to find, and even easier to turn into amazing gifts and decorations.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

 

Come along to festive family storytimes!

Celeste

Meri Kirihimete, Pōneke! It’s that time of year again! The festive season is right around the corner, which means that our libraries are getting themselves all ready to provide storytimes most merry and mirthful for your jollification. So, why not grab the family, jump in your fuzziest pyjamas (or cheeriest Christmas costume) and head on down to your local library to join in on the fun?

Continue reading “Come along to festive family storytimes!” →

28th Māori Battalion Christmas 1943

Stephanie A

In honour of the festive season, I thought I would share with you some images and clips of Māori Battalion Christmases past from the National Library & Māori Battalion websites (along with a book if these photos inspire a culinary experience!).

MB1
Two men from the Maori Battalion digging up a hangi of pork and potatoes for Christmas Dinner at the Maori Training Depot, Maadi. Shows three soldiers pushing dirt aside with spades, while others look on. Photograph taken on 25 Dec 1943, by George Robert Bull.
Bull, George Robert, 1910-1966. Uncovering the Christmas hangi at the Maori Training Depot, Maadi Camp, Egypt – Photograph taken by George Bull. New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch : Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency. Ref: DA-04877-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22828401

MB2
Members of the 28th (Maori) Battalion taking food from an uncovered hangi used to cook Christmas dinner at Maadi Camp in Egypt, during World War II. Photograph taken on 25 December 1943 by George Robert Bull.
Bull, George Robert, 1910-1966. Members of the 28th (Maori) Battalion with uncovered hangi at Maadi Camp on Christmas Day, Egypt – Photograph taken by George Robert Bull. New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch : Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency. Ref: DA-04882-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22895567

MB3
Members of the 28th (Maori) Battalion eating potatoes after opening the hangi used to cook Christmas dinner at the Maori Training Depot in Maadi, Egypt. Photograph taken on 25 December 1943 by George Robert Bull. Far right; Dave McClutchie.
Bull, George Robert, 1910-1966. Members of the 28th (Maori) Battalion eating hangi-cooked potatoes on Christmas Day, Egypt – Photograph taken by George Robert Bull. New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch : Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency. Ref: DA-04878-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23176964

MB4
Looking along one of the tables well laden with Christmas dinner at the Maori Training Depot in Maadi Camp, Egypt. Photograph taken on 25 December 1943 by George Robert Bull.
Bull, George Robert, 1910-1966. Looking along one of the tables laden with Christmas Dinner at the Maori Training Depot, Egypt – Photograph taken by George Robert Bull. New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch : Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency. Ref: DA-04887-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23102454

If these images inspire you to make your own Christmas hangi, check out our collection. We have many books that will help you out.

Hangi / Wena Harawira.
“The cooking of a hangi meal on a marae is explained, with full colour photographs of an actual hangi and its preparation. The history of the hangi is explained, ingredients identified, and a step-by-step timetable given. A recipe for potato bread is also included.” (Syndetics summary)

Syndetics book coverKai time : tasty modern Māori food / Peter Peeti.
“Drawing from the abundant fare that the New Zealand land and sea have to offer, charismatic Maori chef and television personality Peter Peeti shares his culinary knowledge and favourite recipes in this wonderful book. Based on the popular show on Maori TV, Kai Time on the Road (now in its sixth season), Peeti reveals not just a flair for cooking but also his passion for hunting, fishing and procuring ingredients direct from the source. Including such delectable dishes as: Eel and Whitebait Omelette; Venison with Blackberry Jus, Kumara and Potato Rosti and Pikopiko; and Roast Garlic and Thyme Prawns on Coconut Jasmine Rice, Peeti redefines Maori cuisine by blending traditional Maori ingredients and practices with the many modern culinary styles of New Zealand. The end result is overflowing with melt-in-the-mouth flavour and all recipes are remarkably easy to create. The best way to cook up a feed, according to Peeti, is directly after the fishing or hunting trip, on a makeshift stove on the beach or in the bush as the sun starts to go down ¿ the food simply couldn¿t be fresher or tastier or the surroundings more inspiring.” (Syndetics summary)

And finally… I highly recommend you listen to this song clip, on the 28th Māori Battalion website. Recorded in North Africa in 1942, it is a recording of ‘Silent Night’, sung by wounded soldiers of the 28th Maori Battalion at the No 2 New Zealand General Hospital. The Māori version is sung by Ngati Toa nurse Wiki Katene.  Moving and truly beautiful, it is well worth a listen.

Best wishes for a safe and happy Christmas to you all.