The Christmas customs of New Zealand are largely identical to the United Kingdom due to its status as a former British colony, the ethnic caucasian population being almost exclusively British or Irish in descent, and the still pervasive British cultural influence on the country courtesy of constant movements of people between New Zealand and the UK. Christmas dinner consists of roast turkey, roast vegetables, stuffing (or dressing, as it is known in North America) and cranberry Sauce. Alternatively, roast ham may be offered as a main course. One important exception from British dinner is the absence of goose, as it is not raised in New Zealand and the MAF prohibits importing foreign meat products. Desserts are almost without exception mince pies or Christmas pudding (or plum pudding) and brandy butter, inherited from British practices. Enjoyment of non-British Christmas foods, such as stollen from Germany, buche de noel from France, and panettone from Italy, was virtually unheard of in New Zealand until the late 1990s and is still extremely rare today.
Due to New Zealanders celebrating Christmas in the summer, it is also common to barbecue, and eat seasonal fruit
such as cherries and strawberries.
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