Many of us were enjoying time with family or friends yesterday, but spare a thought for the southerners serving abroad on Christmas Day.
Police reporter George Block spoke to three sons of the South who spent the big day deployed in overseas danger zones with the New Zealand Army.
Sergeant John Gregory is hopeful for the future of Afghanistan. Photos: Supplied
Sergeant John Gregory
Hometown: Invercargill
Age: 32
Based in: Kabul, supporting mentors at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy in Camp Qargha.
More than 17 years after the first Kiwi troops were deployed to Afghanistan as part of the United States-led invasion, a handful remain in the war-torn country, most helping to mentor Afghan troops.
Among them is Sergeant John Gregory, originally of Invercargill, now stationed in Camp Qargha, Kabul.
There he helps provide security and support to mentors working with the Afghan National Army (ANA).
The work of foreign mentors with the ANA has been plagued by ''green on blue'' incidents in recent years, in which the Afghan forces turn their guns on the international soldiers training them.
''That's one of our biggest concerns,'' Sgt Gregory said.
There had been several such incidents since his arrival in the country in mid-September, and the risk remained so great that cadets and other staff were not allowed to carry weapons while they were with their mentors, he said.
Sgt Gregory had previously been deployed to Bamiyan province with a New Zealand Army provincial reconstruction team in 2011-12.
That was a very different mission, and on this deployment he stayed behind the wire.
''I was engaging with the locals a bit more [in Bamiyan], which is something that we don't really do as much here, or really at all.
''We can't leave very easily - it gets a little bit claustrophobic in some sense.''
The James Hargest High School alumnus said the security situation in the capital, where he was stationed, was much better than in other parts of the country, and most of the gunfire the troops heard was ''celebratory''.
''Usually it's just someone's getting married or someone's been released from prison.''
Based on his discussions with ANA staff and cadets, he remained hopeful for the future of the country, Sgt Gregory said.
''A lot of the younger people, our interpreters, all they want is peace, and that's fairly consistent.
''It's been 17 years since the American and Coalition forces arrived here, and before that it was the Russians and then the Taliban, and I think they're pretty sick of it, to be fair.''
Speaking earlier this month, before his second Christmas in Afghanistan, Sgt Gregory said he envisaged the troops of various nationalities would offer up their specialty Christmas cuisine.
''I hope they're going to put a good feed on.''
However, he had yet to organise a present for his wife back in Christchurch.
''I better get on to that.''
Warrant Officer Class 2 Tyron Rapana, based in Egypt, will Skype his wife and four children in Rolleston on Christmas Day.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Tyron Rapana
Hometown: Wyndham
Age: 38
Stationed in: Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, with the New Zealand Contingent Multinational Force & Observers (NZCMFO).
Warrant Officer Class 2 Tyron Rapana, a senior non-commissioned officer with the New Zealand peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, describes the difference between the lush paddocks of Southland and the arid, mountainous peninsula as being ''black and white''.
Born in Gore and educated at Menzies College down the road in Wyndham, WO2 Rapana joined the army 19 years ago.
A veteran of many previous overseas missions, including several to Sinai and one to East Timor, he has a few balls in the air on this latest assignment. The affable 38-year-old said he was senior driving instructor for the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) and subject-matter expert for ''up-armoured vehicles'', which include everything from armoured four-wheel-drives, to the hulking mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) armoured vehicles.
''I do the route reconnaissance, and train all the nationalities on defensive and evasive driving techniques.''
His secondary role is as company sergeant major of the New Zealand contingent, responsible for maintaining discipline and morale, and protecting the high reputation of Kiwi troops, who have been part of the MFO since its inception in 1982.
The MFO is the international peacekeeping force responsible for ensuring Egypt and Israel observe the terms of the peace treaty signed in 1979 after the Camp David Accords the previous year.
WO2 Rapana said he was proud of the work of Kiwi troops over several decades in helping keep the peace between the desert neighbours.
Just one week before he once again deployed to Sinai, his partner, children and friends surprised him with an ambush wedding, in the works for months.
''They'd been planning since March ... Even my kids didn't let on.
The father-of-four, whose family live in Rolleston, was clearly disappointed he wouldn't be with them for Christmas.
''Having to Skype them on Christmas Day is going to be a bit tough, but I'm sure there'll be some events here that will keep us busy.''
Enjoying his deployment in Iraq is Corporal David Reid-Thorn, originally of Port Chalmers.
Corporal David Reid-Thorn
Hometown: Port Chalmers
Age: 28
Based in: Iraq, as part of Task Group Taji (combined Australian-New Zealand military training force) at the Task Group Taji headquarters which is north of Baghdad.
Port Chalmers boy Corporal David Reid-Thorn is pretty relaxed for a soldier who has found himself stationed in what almost became Islamic State-controlled territory a few years ago.
The 28-year-old signaller is stationed at Camp Taji, just north of the capital, Baghdad, part of a contingent of troops deployed alongside the Australians to train, advise and assist Iraqi security forces.
When the troops were deployed in 2015, the Iraqi Army in northern Iraq had recently collapsed in the face of a lightning advance by IS troops, and Baghdad seemed at imminent risk of falling to the group.
US soldiers, followed shortly by troops from other nations, were sent to help train and rebuild the Iraqi Army, and IS has now been banished from virtually all of Iraq.
The great-grandson of Port Chalmers identity and former mayor Sir John Thorn, Cpl Reid-Thorn works not as a trainer but at the Task Group Taji headquarters, helping liaise communications between command and the trainers.
''I'm quite enjoying it,'' he said of life on the base.
The mission was originally set to run for two years, but has been repeatedly extended and is now to end in June next year, and Cpl Reid-Thorn is due to be home by May.
The laid-back corporal was working a 1pm to 10pm shift when the Otago Daily Times spoke to him via a patchy phone line, and said he had settled into a ''pretty good'' routine.
''Gym, call family, lunch, work, then rinse and repeat.''
While the army had given him a good heads up before his deployment, life in Iraq was definitely a long way from his upbringing in Port Chalmers.
''I guess it's all out of the ordinary.
''It's a different way of living.''
And as for any messages for his family and friends, celebrating without him back home on Christmas Day?
''I wish them a merry Christmas, and I hope they're celebrating in style.''
