The Post War(s) Era (1951 - 1999)
Day 1 - White Picket Fences
In the 1950s, things settled down in New Zealand. There were no international wars or intense, national conflicts. Many kiwis were able to settle down, get married, buy a home and start a family.
Activity 1 | Meat and Three veg
It was common for women in the 1950s to stay home with their children and raise their family. They were called ‘housewives.’ Many housewives followed a simple rule when they prepared the evening meal: the ‘meat and three veg’ rule. This meant that they prepared dinners that included three different vegetables and a type of meat (eg. beef, lamb, or chicken).
On your blog tell us if you think that the ‘meat and three veg’ rule is a good one. Do you like the rule? Would you enjoy eating a typical 1950s dinner? Why or why not?
Typical 1950's Dinner
Well, I think the idea of a 1950's dinner is both beneficial and bland. I mean, having meat and 3 types of vegetables is great for your heath, but it gets boring after a few meals. Sometimes, you should switch it up a bit and explore different kinds foods you can cook.
Activity 2 | What's in a name?
During the 1950s the population of New Zealand grew by 400,000 people. That is huge! In fact, so many people were having babies that many people refer to this period in our history as the ‘baby boom.’ Popular baby names in 1950s New Zealand were:
GIRLS BOYS
Christine John
Susan David
Margaret Peter
Judith Michael
Jennifer Robert
Read through the lists. Are these popular names in your school? On your blog, tell us which names are currently popular in your school. Please provide, at least, three girls’ names and three boys’ names that are popular.
When I was going to school, the name ‘Jennifer’ was the most popular girl’s name and the name ‘Matthew’ was the most popular boy’s name.
Popular names in School
Girls | Boys
Sia Sam
Rachel Thomas
Malia Gabriel
Bonus Activity | Snail Mail
In the 1950s, most people communicated with one another by writing letters. According to the NZ history website, New Zealanders sent over 200 million letters and postcards between 1950 and 1960. That is an average of 87 letters per person!
For this activity, imagine that you are living in New Zealand in the 1950s. Use Google Draw* to design the front of a postcard that you could send to a friend. Try to include elements of Kiwiana in your design (e.g. Pohutukawa trees, Hokey Pokey ice cream, etc). Post a copy of your postcard picture to your blog. Be sure to describe what you have drawn on your blog beneath the picture.
*You will need to make a copy of the Google Draw template to create your postcard.
My Post Card
My post card contains things New Zealand is known for, from the Pavlova to our favourite sport, Rugby!
Kia Ora Aaliyah,
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool looking postcard you have created. The love that you have included so many different iconic 'kiwi' images including a pavlova and Pohutukawa flowers. The Pohutukawa tree always reminds me of Christmas. We have a number of Pohutukawa trees in our neighbourhood and they flower so beautifully at Christmas time.
Do you have any Pohutukawa trees in your neighbourhood?
I see in your postcard that you have also included an erupting volcano. What a good idea! I often forget that we have so many volcanoes in New Zealand, including seven right here in Auckland city. It certainly is an exciting place to live!
Speaking of excitement, I had to smile when I read your comment about the lack of excitement or blandness associated with the traditional 'meat and three veg' meal served in the 1950s in New Zealand. I, too, would find it pretty boring to eat only meat and vegetables each night. Some of my favourite dishes are things like nachos, tacos, fajitas and hamburgers. I can't imagine eating meals that didn't include some spice and variety!
What are your favourite meals? I saw in a previous post that you really enjoy your mom's lasagna. I also love lasagna. In fact, my family (in Canada) always has lasagna for dinner on Christmas Eve every year. We started making it because it was so cold at night in Canada that we wanted a nice, warm and hearty dish!
Hope that you are enjoying the warmth of the sun this summer. The weather has been pretty beautiful, hasn't it?
Keep up the great work with your blogging. You are keeping Billy and I really busy :)
Bye for now,
Rachel :)