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Christmas flags celebrate Porirua’s cultural diversity

Flags wagtail image

With the festive season quickly approaching, Porirua City Council has updated its Christmas flags to reflect the city’s rich diversity.

The flags deliver season’s greetings with a Māori and Pacific flavour, to celebrate the many different communities that make this city unique.

The refreshed flags, with festive greetings in te Reo and 11 different Pacific languages, align with the recent adoption of Maungaroa 2050 and Ola Kamataga – Beginning of Life 2024-2027, Council’s Māori and Pacific strategies.

Each of the ‘baubles’ that make up the Christmas tree design are motifs representing Māori and the 11 Pacific cultures we will be celebrating with language weeks in 2024. The flags were jointly designed by Council staff and local artist Moses Viliamu.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says it’s the rich blend of cultures that make Porirua the warm and welcoming place that it is.

“We love that about our city, so it’s natural that our flags reflect and honour our Pacific and Māori communities – especially at Christmas which is a time of celebration and gathering with loved ones.”

The flags are out and fluttering, so check them out when you’re next in the city centre.

Our festive greetings are:

  • Te Reo Māori: Meri Kirihimete
  • Samoa: Manuia le Kirisimasi
  • Tokelau: Manuia te Kilihimahi
  • Cook Islands Māori: Meri Kirithimiti
  • Kiribati: Tekeraoi n te Kiritimati
  • Fiji: Meri Kerisimasi
  • Niue: Monuina e Kilisimasi
  • Tonga: Kilisimasi Fiefia
  • Rotuma: Kesmäs leleti
  • Tuvalu: Ke Manuia Te Kilisimasi
  • Solomon Islands Pijin: Hapi Krismas
  • Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin: Amamas Krismas

23 Nov 2023