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Date & Time:

Wed 3 Dec & Thu 4 Dec 2025

  • • Our 2025 Term 4 HIS240: “A Cultural History of Christmas” meets on Wednesday 3 December and Thursday 4 December 2025 from 7:30-9:00pm for two disctinct sessions.

Location:

EarthDiverse Centre in Hillcrest, Hamilton

The location for our two evening sessions in Hillcrest, Hamilton, will be emailed to you upon your registration for this course.

Description:

HIS240: “A Cultural History of Christmas”

  • • From the Roman Saturnalia to Celtic and Germanic folklore, from one of the most important Christian festivals to Santa enjoying a Coke in Hawai’i, along with the gift-giving rituals of postmodernism, the global history of Christmas is diverse, complex and fascinating.

  • • Over two consecutive evenings, we will read some introductory literary texts on Christmas together (e.g. the Christmas story according to Luke, excerpts from Charles Dickens & Thomans Mann), and listen to Christmas music from various origins. In addition, we will explore visualisations of Christmas in art history and explore some Christmas culinary delights. In the last hour we will focus on Christmas traditions in the Southern Hemisphere.

  • • Bring a friend and your favourite New Zealand Christmas poem or carol.

  • • One price for a family of 3-5 persons!

Meet our Instructors:

German Instructor Dr Norman Franke , MA Hamburg, PhD Humboldt, Berlin

Dr Norman Franke is a New Zealand based scholar, poet and filmmaker. He has taught German as a second language for more than three decades to a wide range of learners, from refugees to academics. Norman has published widely about 18th-century literature as well as German-speaking exile literature (Albert Einstein, Else Lasker-Schüler, Karl Wolfskehl) and eco-poetics. Norman’s poetry has been broadcast on radio and published in anthologies in Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. Norman also teaches other courses for EarthDiverse, including our new course on Sacred Poetry, and courses in Art, Literature and Philosophy.

Distance Learning:

Live Zoom sessions and video recordings

  • • Our courses offer distance learning options: Live-streamed Hamilton classes are available via free Zoom software for those living anywhere in the world with a decent internet connection. Live-streaming allows you to participate fully in your own learning, ask questions of the instructor and participate fully in the same way as if you were in the physical classroom.

  • • Those unable to attend the scheduled date and time of the actual class sessions, or those who need to miss a class or two due to previous engagements or unexpected illness, can watch any or all of the live-recorded video sessions on their computers, laptops, tablets or mobile devices and study at their own pace and in their own time.

  • • Detailed instructions on how to access our distance learning components are available on the course webpage once you complete your registration and can sign in with your EarthDiverse account. There are no additional fees for this service. However, distance learners will need access to a desktop or laptop computer with a good quality web-camera (tablet devices and mobile phones can also access our live-streamed classes), a built-in microphone (most modern laptops have built-in microphones) or a headset with a microphone. You will also need to download and install the free Zoom software on your computer or device. Those accessing the video recordings will be able to do so with a simple web browser on any device.

Pricing options:

• All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST.

• Prices remain the same regardless of your chosen method for accessing this course.

• Please note that If you live in the US or Canada, an additional tax may be applied as per local tax regulations.

Notes:

  • In-person space in limited so register early! There's unlimted space for those Zooming in though!

  • This discussion group has no assignments, quizzes, tests or exams.

  • You will not need to purchase any additional course materials.

  • All sessions encourage questions and group discussion.

  • Course fee includes tea/coffee/snack at each session. Help yourself!

  • You are most welcome to come, sit back, relax, take part in and enjoy the discussions!

  • There are no refunds for missed sessions.

Prerequisites:

A keen desire on the Cultural History for Christmas!

  • • There are no prerequisites for this course.

  • • This course is open to all learners aged 7 years and above