Christmas, NZ 1930s style

A DigitalNZ Story by Liz Keirs

It was a diferent era, but there's something familiar in the 1930s Christmas cheery images of children, animals and Santa that we can all relate to, almost a century later.

Christmas, 1930s, weddings

Image: Christmas greetings

Christmas greetings

Auckland Libraries

Image: Christmas Greetings

Christmas Greetings

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Image: Kittens for Christmas

Kittens for Christmas

Auckland Libraries

Image: Christmas in Maoriland

Christmas in Maoriland

Auckland Libraries

Cute animals, children, beaches - these sometimes gloriously cheesy greeting cards brim with happiness and energy.

The severe-looking 'Mother Bates' lady on the left would have terrified me if she tried to bring me Christmas cheer...

So many weddings at Christmas! Prime time for gorgeous floral arrangements in New Zealand.

Love these beautiful photos of kids on Christmas morning.

Santa's robe was longer in the 1930s (very stylish), though I'm not sure about him riding an elephant in Christchurch. That's certainly 'different'.

Political cartoons, a beautifully illustrated Christmas dinner menu and an exceptionally creepy snowman with Shirley Temple - this collection has it all!

Still part of the Empire - attending to the Royal Christmas message.