10 December 2008

IPC Students and Staff Join in the 2008 Palmerston North Christmas Parade

By Shirley Ghozalli. Edited by Moira Blake.

IPC group photo before the Christmas parade

The IPC float in the parade on Broadway Avenue

As part of the festivities of the holiday season, many towns in New Zealand hold their own Christmas Parade each year. Palmerston North is one of them. The 2008 Palmerston North Christmas Parade took place on Saturday, 6th December, involving 43 floats with the Town Crier's carriage number one and Santa's reindeer sleigh on a truck at the end. The floats came from the local communities, schools and businesses and were decorated to fit with this year's theme "Kiwiana," which refers to all things that are unique to New Zealand (e.g the Kiwi bird, jandals, Kiwifruit, the Buzzy Bee etc.).

The tall Christmas Tree on the Square

In very clear summery weather, the floats in the procession started their journey at 3 pm from the old Railway Land just south of the main business area, went around the town centre, through the Square and finished back at the starting point at 4 pm. The highlight of the parade was the entrance to the Square, where a tall Christmas tree, decorated in red and gold, had been set up. Local performers entertained the crowds from morning until late in the afternoon and there were also stalls selling all sorts of goodies.

On this occasion, as in ealier years, IPC students and staff members joined in the parade. Around 53 International students plus some staff members participated. IPC's red ute was decorated as our float and three students from the Taiko Drum Team rode on the back of the ute with their drums. Despite the parade start time being 3 pm, the students and staff came to the meeting place at 1.30 pm and started practising their dances.

Wearing national costumes from countries such as Japan, Vietnam, South Korea and Indonesia, the group of students and staff members walked and danced alongside the float. Songs from each of the countries could be heard along the way. For every song, the students who knew the dance movements for the song would go to the front of the group to be lead dancers. The rest of the group would follow their movements. Some of the students gave out paper cranes they had made several days before to the children. This was a change from the more usual candies, and much appreciated by many.

Mariesca Octaviani (a 2008 student from Indonesia) commented that, "I was happy that I participated in the Christmas Parade last Saturday. I saw the great effort the people made to celebrate Christmas. I hope this parade will be continued every year and be even more spectacular."

More photos and a QuickTime movie can be viewed at: IPC 2008 Palmerston North Christmas Parade Photo Albums.

For more information, please visit the Manawatu Standard website: http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatustandard/

IPC students enjoying the parade	IPC Taiko Drum Team playing on the back of the IPC float	The first float of the parade: The Town Crier's carriage
A float full of Kiwiana icons	A local band marching	Santa's reindeer sleigh - the last float of the parade

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