Christmas has been celebrated in a myriad of ways today, from community feasts, traditional church services and even paddle-boarding.
In Auckland, the City Mission served up the biggest Christmas Day lunch in the country with the help of 500 volunteers.
Putting on a feast for over 2000 people requires planning and dedication and a whole lot of help. The last three days have involved intense preparations with cooking this morning beginning at 6am.
The numbers involved in putting on the Christmas lunch are enormous. It involves 2000 chicken drumsticks, 300kgs of ham, more than half a tonne of vegetables, 380 litres of ice cream and 2500 slices of Christmas cake.
Entertainment was provided by nearly 40 volunteers from Auckland and Middlemore hospitals.
Across the city at St Matthew's Church, people gathered to sing and remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Meanwhile further down the island in Wellington's Upper Hutt, those who had nowhere to go enjoyed a special lunch at Quinn's Post.
The pub's owner Murray McMahon has been hosting the free event with the Rimutaka Lions Club for the last five years.
"This is one day that we do it for the community because there are people that need it," he said.
With the help of about 30 volunteers, the group fed dozens of people who would have otherwise been alone on Christmas.
"It's about people being happy and not sitting at home alone," Mr McMahon said.
"You know, look at the people sitting around and they're chatting and they're smiling and they're having a great time, and that's what it should be Christmas day."
And while in drizzly Wellington most enjoyed their turkey indoors, those in sunny Nelson were on the water.
The stand-up paddle-boarding club dressed for the occasion, donning Santa hats for a Christmas Eve paddle.
Auckland beaches were crowded with people soaking up the sun, while Newshub caught the man in red himself when he stopped by Invercargill.
Security cameras at Farm Fresh South snapped Santa dropping off presents to those on his 'nice' list.
Newshub.
