New Zealand – People

New Zealanders are very proud of their homeland. It is reluctant to hear New Zealand mentioned in the same breath as Australia, because the New Zealanders are counting on their independence.

New Zealand has a much more relaxed and less regimented lifestyle compared to other industrialized countries. People are independent, frugal and practically oriented. But they are also open-minded and extremely hospitable. Many New Zealanders are extremely enthusiastic about sports.

The Maori are proud of their Polynesian origins and the cultural heritage that comes with it.

In New Zealand, people usually greet each other with a handshake. The most commonly used greetings are gidday after the English “Good Day” or simply “Hello” or “Hi”.

The Maori greet each other with a hug or the traditional Hongi greeting. Here, you press your noses together with your eyes closed and make a sound like “mm-mm”.

Sport has a high priority in the lives of most New Zealanders. In winter, rugby and football are the most popular sports, in summer cricket is more popular.

In addition, many other sports are practiced all year round, such as tennis, lawn bowling, jogging and athletics, golf, equestrian sports, swimming and sailing (most families own their own boat).