document_title: Christchurch

question_text: what is the climate in christchurch new zealand

question_tokens: what is the climate in christchurch new zealand

text: Christchurch

text: Names[edit]

text: The name of "Christchurch" was agreed on at the first meeting of the Canterbury Association on 27 March 1848. It was suggested by founder John Robert Godley, whose alma mater was Christ Church, Oxford.[4]

text: The Māori name Ōtautahi ("the place of Tautahi") was adopted in the 1930; originally it was the name of a specific site by the Avon River near present-day Kilmore Street.[5] The site was a seasonal dwelling of Ngāi Tahu chief Te Potiki Tautahi, whose main home was Port Levy on Banks Peninsula. Prior to that the Ngāi Tahu generally referred to the Christchurch area as Karaitiana,[6] a transliteration of the English word Christian.

text: History[edit]

text: This section appears to be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective and add more content related to non-recent events. (April 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Overview[edit]

text: Archaeological evidence found in a cave at Redcliffs in 1876 has indicated that the Christchurch area was first settled by moa-hunting tribes about 1250 CE. These first inhabitants were thought to have been followed by the Waitaha tribe, who are said to have migrated from the East coast of the North Island in the 16th century. Following tribal warfare, the Waitaha (made of three peoples) were dispossessed by the Ngati Mamoe tribe. They were in turn subjugated by the Ngāi Tahu tribe, who remained in control until the arrival of European settlers. Following the purchase of land at Putaringamotu (modern Riccarton) by the Weller brothers, whalers of Otago and Sydney, a party of European settlers led by Herriott and McGillivray established themselves in what is now Christchurch, early in 1840. Their abandoned holdings were taken over by the Deans brothers[7] in 1843 who stayed. The First Four Ships were chartered by the Canterbury Association and brought the first 792 of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton Harbour. These sailing vessels were the Randolph, Charlotte Jane, Sir George Seymour, and Cressy. The Charlotte Jane was the first to arrive on 16 December 1850. The Canterbury Pilgrims had aspirations of building a city around a cathedral and college, on the model of Christ Church in Oxford.[8]

text: The name "Christ Church" was decided prior to the ships' arrival, at the Association's first meeting, on 27 March 1848. The exact basis for the name is not known. It has been suggested that it is named for Christchurch, in Dorset, England; for Canterbury Cathedral; or in honour of Christ Church, Oxford. The last explanation is the one generally accepted.[9]

text: Captain Joseph Thomas, the Canterbury Association's Chief Surveyor, surveyed the surrounding area. By December 1849 he had commissioned the construction of a road from Port Cooper, later Lyttelton, to Christchurch via Sumner.[10] However this proved more difficult than expected and road construction was stopped while a steep foot and pack horse track was constructed over the hill between the port and the Heathcote valley, where access to the site of the proposed settlement could be gained. This track became known as the Bridle Path, because the path was so steep that pack horses needed to be led by the bridle.[11] Goods that were too heavy or bulky to be transported by pack horse over the Bridle Path were shipped by small sailing vessels some eight miles (13 km) by water around the coast and up the estuary to Ferrymead. New Zealand's first public railway line, the Ferrymead Railway, opened from Ferrymead to Christchurch in 1863. Due to the difficulties in travelling over the Port Hills and the dangers associated with shipping navigating the Sumner bar, a railway tunnel was bored through the Port Hills to Lyttelton, opening in 1867.[12]

text: Christchurch became a city by royal charter on 31 July 1856, the first in New Zealand. Many of the city's Gothic Revival buildings by architect Benjamin Mountfort date from this period. Christchurch was the seat of provincial administration for the Province of Canterbury, which was abolished in 1876. In 1947, New Zealand's worst fire disaster occurred at Ballantyne's Department Store in the inner city, with 41 people killed in a blaze which razed the rambling collection of buildings.[13] The Lyttelton road tunnel between Lyttelton and Christchurch was opened in 1964.[14] Christchurch hosted the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.

text: 2010–12 earthquakes[edit]

text: On Saturday 4 September 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Christchurch and the central Canterbury region at 4:35 am. Located near Darfield, west of the city at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), it caused widespread damage to the city and minor injuries, but no direct fatalities.[16][17][18]

text: Nearly six months later on Tuesday 22 February 2011, a second earthquake measuring magnitude 6.3 struck the city at 12:51 pm. It was located closer to the city, near Lyttelton at a depth of 5 km (3 mi).[19] Although lower on the moment magnitude scale than the previous earthquake, the intensity and violence of the ground shaking was measured to be IX (Violent), among the strongest ever recorded globally in an urban area[20] and in total 185 people were killed.[21][22] People from more than 20 countries were among the victims.[23] The city's iconic ChristChurch Cathedral was severely damaged and lost its spire.[24][25] The collapse of the CTV Building resulted in the majority of fatalities. Widespread damage across Christchurch resulted in loss of homes, major buildings and infrastructure. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, and the total cost to insurers of rebuilding has been estimated at NZ$20–30 billion.[26][27]

text: On 13 June 2011 Christchurch was hit by two more large aftershocks. A magnitude 5.6 quake at a depth of 9 km (6 mi) hit at 1:00 pm in the general location of Sumner, Christchurch. This was followed by another quake at magnitude 6.3 with a depth of 6 km (4 mi) at 2:20 pm again in the general location of Sumner, Christchurch. There were no fatalities though it resulted in further liquefaction and building damage.[28]

text: There were further earthquakes on 23 December 2011; the first, of magnitude 5.8 according to the US Geological Survey, 26 km (16 mi) north-east of the city at a depth of 4.7 km (2.9 mi), at 13:58, followed by several aftershocks and another earthquake of magnitude 6.0 and similar location 80 minutes later, with more aftershocks expected.[29][30] St John Ambulance reported after the two quakes that there were minor injuries at homes and businesses but no serious injuries and few indications of building collapses at the time.[31] Christchurch Airport was briefly closed. There were power and water outages at New Brighton and severe damage to the Parklands region, including roads and footpaths.

text: Christchurch was again rattled awake on 2 January 2012; the first; a magnitude 5.1 struck at 01:27 followed five minutes later by a magnitude 4.2 aftershock; a second larger earthquake struck at 05:45 with a magnitude of 5.5. This caused power outages to the eastern suburbs of Parklands, New Brighton, Shirley, Dallington, Burwood, Spencerville and Richmond; this affected around 10,000 homes.[32]

text: 4,558 earthquakes were recorded in the Canterbury region above a magnitude 3.0, from 4 September 2010 to 3 September 2014.[33]

text: Following the earthquakes over 1500 buildings in the city had been demolished or partly demolished by September 2013.[34]

text: The city has been experiencing rapid growth following the earthquakes, with the central city rebuild, which is outlined in the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan, starting to ramp up, and massive growth in the residential sector, with around 50,000 new houses expected to be constructed in the Greater Christchurch area by 2028, as outlined in the Land Use Recovery Plan (LURP).

text: 2013 to present[edit]

text: On 13 February 2017, two bush fires started on the Port Hills. These merged over the next two days and the single very large wild fire extended down both sides of the Port Hill almost reaching Governors Bay in the south-west, and the Westmorland, Kennedys Bush, and Dyers Pass Road almost down to the Sign of the Takahe. Eleven houses were destroyed by fire, over one thousand residents were evacuated from their homes, and over 2,076 hectares (5,130 acres) of land has been burned.[35]

text: Gateway to the Antarctic[edit]

text: Christchurch has a history of involvement in Antarctic exploration–both Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton used the port of Lyttelton as a departure point for expeditions, and in the central city there is a statue of Scott sculpted by his widow, Kathleen Scott. Within the city, the Canterbury Museum preserves and exhibits many historic artefacts and stories of Antarctic exploration. Christchurch International Airport serves as the major base for the New Zealand, Italian and United States Antarctic programs.

text: The International Antarctic Centre provides both base facilities and a museum and visitor centre focused upon current Antarctic activities. The United States Navy and latterly the United States Air National Guard, augmented by the New Zealand and Australian air forces, use Christchurch Airport as take-off for the main supply route to McMurdo and Scott Bases in Antarctica. The Clothing Distribution Center (CDC) in Christchurch, had more than 140,000 pieces of extreme cold weather (ECW) gear for issue to nearly 2,000 US Antarctic Program (USAP) participants in the 2007–08 season.[36]

text: Geography[edit]

text: Christchurch lies in Canterbury, near the centre of the east coast of the South Island, east of the Canterbury Plains. It is located near the southern end of Pegasus Bay, and is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean coast and the estuary of the Avon and Heathcote Rivers. To the south and south-east the urban portion of the city is limited by the volcanic slopes of the Port Hills separating it from Banks Peninsula. In 2006, Banks Peninsula was incorporated into the city, in effect tripling the city's land area[37] while adding only about 8,000 people to the city's population. To the north the city is bounded by the braided Waimakariri River.

text: Christchurch is one of only eight pairs of cities in the world that have near-exact antipodal cities. Half of these antipodal pairs are in New Zealand and Spain/Morocco–with A Coruña, Spain as Christchurch's antipode.

text: Christchurch is one of a group of only four cities in the world to have been carefully planned following the same layout of a central city square, four complementing city squares surrounding it and a parklands area that embrace the city centre. The first city built with this pattern was Philadelphia. Later came Savannah and Adelaide, before Christchurch.

text: Christchurch has one of the highest-quality water supplies in the world, with its water rated among the purest and cleanest in the world.[38] Untreated, naturally filtered water is sourced, via more than 50 pumping stations surrounding the city, from aquifers emanating from the foothills of the Southern Alps.[39]

text: Central City[edit]

text: At the city's centre is Cathedral Square, surrounding the now-earthquake-damaged – landmark Anglican cathedral, Christ Church. The area around this square and within the Four Avenues of Christchurch (Bealey Avenue, Fitzgerald Avenue, Moorhouse Avenue and Deans Avenue[40]) is considered to be the central business district (CBD) of the city. The central city also has a number of residential areas, including Inner City East, Inner City West, Avon Loop, Moa Neighbourhood and Victoria, but many of the residential buildings in the CBD were demolished following the February 2011 earthquakes. Cathedral Square is located at the crossing of two major central streets, Colombo Street and Worcester Street.

text: Cathedral Square, the heart of the city, hosted attractions such as (until the February 2011 earthquake)[41] the Wizard of New Zealand, Ian Brackenbury Channell, and evangelist Ray Comfort; regular market days; free standing food and coffee carts; an aquarium, pubs and restaurants and the city's chief tourist information centre. it is expected that activities in Cathedral Square will increase as the rebuild progresses. The Wizard of New Zealand now operates from New Regent Street.[42]

text: The central city also includes the pedestrianised sections of Cashel and High streets commonly known pre-earthquakes as 'City Mall'. Refurbished in 2008/09 the mall featured especially designed seating, flower and garden boxes, more trees, paving, and an extension to the central city tram route. The tram route extension was nearly complete when the February 2011 earthquake struck. Following the earthquakes, most buildings in Cashel Mall were demolished. A shopping area called Re:START opened on Cashel Street adjacent to Ballantyne's Department Store in October 2011. The Re:START mall is made of colourful shipping containers that have been converted to house retail stores. The Bridge of Remembrance commemorating war dead stands at the western end of the mall, was repaired rededicated on Anzac Day, Monday 25 April 2016.[43][44]

text: The Cultural Precinct[45] provided a backdrop to a vibrant scene of ever-changing arts, cultural, and heritage attractions within an area of less than one square kilometre. The Arts Centre, the Canterbury Museum and the Art Gallery are located in the Cultural Precinct. The majority of the activities were free and a printable map was provided. There areas are slowly being reopened follow earthquake repair and strengthening work.

text: In 2010, the Christchurch City Council released "A City For People Action Plan", a programme of work through to 2022 to improve public spaces within the central city to entice more inner city residents and visitors. A primary action was to reduce the impact of motorised private vehicles and increase the comfort of pedestrians and cyclists. The plan was based on a report prepared for the council by renowned Danish design firm Gehl Architects. Since the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake Wellington architect Ian Athfield has been selected to re-plan, although many varied suggestions have been promoted for rebuilding the central city.[46][47][48][49]

text: The Central City, which was fully closed off following 22 February earthquake, opened in stages and was fully reopened in June 2013. There are still some streets closed off due to earthquake damage, infrastructure repair work, and damaged buildings.[50]

text: Inner suburbs[edit]

text: (clockwise, starting north of the city centre)

text:
Mairehau
Shirley
Dallington
Richmond
Avonside
Linwood
Phillipstown
Woolston
Opawa
Waltham
St Martins
Beckenham
Sydenham
Somerfield
Spreydon
Addington
Riccarton
Ilam
Upper Riccarton
Burnside
Fendalton
Bryndwr
Strowan
Merivale
Papanui
St Albans
Edgeware

text: Outer suburbs[edit]

text:
Marshland
Bottle Lake
Burwood
Parklands
Prestons
Highfield
Waimairi Beach
Queenspark
Avondale
North New Brighton
New Brighton
Bexley (now largely defunct)
Aranui
Wainoni
South Brighton
Southshore
Bromley
Mt Pleasant
Redcliffs
Moncks Bay
Clifton
Richmond Hill
Sumner
Scarborough Hill
Ferrymead
Heathcote Valley
Hillsborough
Murray Aynsley
Huntsbury
Cashmere
Westmorland
Hoon Hay
Hillmorton
Aidanfield
Halswell
Kennedys Bush
Oaklands
Westlake
Longhurst
Knight Stream Park
Wigram
Middleton
Sockburn
Hornby
Hei Hei
Broomfield
Islington
Yaldhurst
Russley
Hyde Park
Avonhead
Harewood
Bishopdale
Northcote
Casebrook
Redwood
Regents Park
Styx Mill
Northwood
Groynes Park
Belfast
Spencerville
Brooklands

text: Satellite towns[edit]

text:
Leeston
Lyttelton
Governors Bay
Diamond Harbour
Tai Tapu
Little River
Lincoln
Prebbleton
Rolleston
Templeton
West Melton
Rangiora
Woodend
Waikuku
Pegasus Town
Kaiapoi
Kainga
Pines Beach
Akaroa
Motukarara

text: Climate[edit]

text:
Christchurch

Climate chart (explanation)

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

44

22
12

44

22
12

53

20
10

53

17
7

63

14
4

59

11
1

63

11
1

58

12
2

42

15
4

48

17
6

48

19
8

50

21
11

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C

Precipitation totals in mm

[show]Imperial conversion

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

1.7

72
53

1.7

71
53

2.1

68
50

2.1

63
44

2.5

58
39

2.3

53
34

2.5

51
33

2.3

54
36

1.7

58
39

1.9

62
43

1.9

66
47

2

70
51

Average max. and min. temperatures in °F

Precipitation totals in inches

text: Christchurch has a temperate Oceanic climate with a mild summer, cool winter, and regular moderate rainfall. It has mean daily maximum air temperatures of 22.5 °C (73 °F) in January and 11.3 °C (52 °F) in July.[51] Under the Köppen climate classification, Christchurch has an oceanic climate (Cfb). Summer in the city is mostly warm but is often moderated by a sea breeze from the Northeast. A record temperature of 41.6 °C (107 °F) was reached in February 1973. A notable feature of the weather is the nor'wester, a hot föhn wind that occasionally reaches storm force, causing widespread minor damage to property.[52] Like many cities, Christchurch experiences an urban heat island effect; temperatures are slightly higher within the inner city regions compared to the surrounding countryside.[53]

text: In winter it is common for the temperature to fall below 0 °C (32 °F) at night. There are on average 80 days of ground frost per year.[54] Snowfalls occur on average three times per year, although in some years no snowfall is recorded.[55] The coldest temperature recorded was −7.1 °C (19 °F) on 18 July 1945, the third lowest recorded temperature of New Zealand's major cities.[55][56]

text: On cold winter nights, the surrounding hills, clear skies, and frosty calm conditions often combine to form a stable inversion layer above the city that traps vehicle exhausts and smoke from domestic fires to cause smog. While not as bad as smog in Los Angeles or Mexico City, Christchurch smog has often exceeded World Health Organisation recommendations for air pollution.[57] To limit air pollution, the regional council banned the use of open fires in the city in 2006.[58] In 2008 council prohibited the use of woodburners more than 15 years old, while making funding available to upgrade domestic home heating systems.[59]

text:
[hide]Climate data for Christchurch International Airport (1943–2015, Sunshine 1949–2015, Temperature 1953–2015, Humidity 1960–2015)

Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year

Record high °C (°F)
35.9
(96.6)
41.6
(106.9)
35.9
(96.6)
29.9
(85.8)
27.3
(81.1)
22.5
(72.5)
22.4
(72.3)
22.8
(73)
26.2
(79.2)
30.1
(86.2)
32.0
(89.6)
36.0
(96.8)
41.6
(106.9)

Average high °C (°F)
22.4
(72.3)
21.9
(71.4)
20.0
(68)
17.3
(63.1)
14.2
(57.6)
11.4
(52.5)
10.7
(51.3)
12.2
(54)
14.6
(58.3)
16.9
(62.4)
19.0
(66.2)
20.9
(69.6)
16.8
(62.2)

Daily mean °C (°F)
17.1
(62.8)
16.8
(62.2)
15.0
(59)
12.1
(53.8)
9.0
(48.2)
6.2
(43.2)
5.7
(42.3)
7.1
(44.8)
9.3
(48.7)
11.5
(52.7)
13.6
(56.5)
15.7
(60.3)
11.6
(52.9)

Average low °C (°F)
11.8
(53.2)
11.6
(52.9)
9.9
(49.8)
6.8
(44.2)
3.8
(38.8)
1.1
(34)
0.7
(33.3)
2.0
(35.6)
4.0
(39.2)
6.1
(43)
8.1
(46.6)
10.6
(51.1)
6.4
(43.5)

Record low °C (°F)
3.0
(37.4)
1.5
(34.7)
−0.2
(31.6)
−4.0
(24.8)
−6.4
(20.5)
−7.2
(19)
−6.8
(19.8)
−6.7
(19.9)
−4.4
(24.1)
−4.2
(24.4)
−2.6
(27.3)
0.1
(32.2)
−7.2
(19)

Average rainfall mm (inches)
43.5
(1.713)
43.5
(1.713)
52.8
(2.079)
52.9
(2.083)
63.0
(2.48)
58.5
(2.303)
62.5
(2.461)
57.6
(2.268)
42.4
(1.669)
48.3
(1.902)
47.5
(1.87)
50.4
(1.984)
622.9
(24.524)

Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm)
5.9
5.4
6.3
6.7
7.8
8.0
8.2
7.3
6.1
6.9
6.6
7.1
82.3

Average relative humidity (%) (at 9am)
72.5
79.0
80.9
83.9
86.3
87.2
87.8
85.8
78.7
73.9
70.5
71.3
79.8

Mean monthly sunshine hours
224.4
190.5
177.4
155.6
133.3
117.7
124.8
149.0
166.6
201.3
215.3
214.3
2,070.2

Percent possible sunshine
48.3
49.1
46.2
47.5
44.5
43.6
43.3
46.4
47.2
49.0
49.1
45.0
46.6

Source #1: CliFlo[60]

Source #2: Time and Date (potential monthly daylight hours)[61]

text: Demographics[edit]

text: The area administered by the Christchurch City Council has a population of 375,000 (June 2016),[2] making it the second-largest in New Zealand, and the largest city in the South Island.

text: The Christchurch urban area at 389,700 is the third-largest in the country by population, after Auckland and Wellington. The urban area differs from the city by including Kaiapoi in the Waimakariri District and Prebbleton in the Selwyn District, while excluding most of the Banks Peninsula.

text:
Historical Population of Christchurch City

New Zealand census
Pop.
±%

1981
281,721[62]
–

1986
288,948[62]
2.6%

1991
296,061[62]
2.5%

1996
316,611[62]
6.9%

2001
323,956[62]
2.3%

2006
348,435[62]
7.6%

2013
341,469[63]
-2.0%

text: Culture and identity[edit]

text:
Largest groups of overseas-born residents[64][65]

Nationality
Population (2013)

 United Kingdom
21,267

 China
6,822

 Australia
5,529

 Philippines
3,126

 South Korea
2,739

 South Africa
2,694

 India
2,466

 Samoa
2,187

 United States
1,995

 Netherlands
1,911

text: The following table shows the ethnic profile of Christchurch's population, as recorded in the 2001 and 2006 New Zealand census. The percentages add up to more than 100%, as some people counted themselves as belonging to more than one ethnic group. Figures for 2006 refer to just Christchurch City, not the whole urban area. The substantial percentage drop in the numbers of 'Europeans' was mainly caused by the increasing numbers of people from this group choosing to define themselves as 'New Zealanders'–even though this was not one of the groups listed on the census form.

text: Approximately 62% of the South Island's Pacific Islander community reside in Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury region, equalling approximately 11,500 people.[66] People of Samoan descent comprise about half the Pacific Islander population.[66] There are also smaller communities of Cook Islanders, Fijians, Niueans, Tokelauans and Tongans residing in the city.[66]

text:
Ethnic Group
2001 census
2006 census
2013 census

Percentage
People[67]
National average
Percent
People[68]
National average
Percent
People[69]
National average

European
89.8
291,594

75.4
255,366
67.6
83.9
273,303
74.0

Asian
5.5
17,703

7.9
26,631
9.2
9.4
30,717
11.8

Māori
7.2
23,421

7.6
25,725
14.7
8.5
27,765
14.9

Pacific Island
2.4
7,713

2.8
9,465
6.9
3.1
10,104
7.4

'New Zealander'
n/a
n/a

12.9
43,671
11.1
1.9
6,129
1.6

Middle East/Latin America/Africa
n/a
n/a

0.8
2,862
0.9
1.0
3,384
1.2

Others
0.6
2,073

<0.1
114
<0.1
<0.1
147
<0.1

Total giving their ethnicity

324,666 (individuals)

338,748 (individuals)

325,772 (individuals)

text: The 2006 Census also provides information about the multilinguality of the region. Of those people in Christchurch City who provided data, 86% spoke one language only, 12% spoke two, and 2% could converse in three or more languages.[68]

text: Economy[edit]

text: Farming[edit]

text: The agricultural industry has always been the economic core of Christchurch.[70] The city has long had industry based on the surrounding farming country – part of the original "package" New Zealand was sold to immigrants as.[71] PGG Wrightson, New Zealand's leading agribusiness, is based in Christchurch.[72] Its local roots go back to Pyne Gould Guinness, an old stock and station agency serving the South Island.[73] Other agribusinesses in Christchurch have included malting, seed development and dressing, wool and meat processing, and small biotechnology operations using by-products from meat works.[70] Dairying has grown strongly in the surrounding areas with high world prices for milk products and the use of irrigation to lift grass growth on dry land. With its higher labour use this has helped stop declines in rural population. Many cropping and sheep farms have been converted to dairying. Conversions have been by agribusiness companies as well as by farmers, many of whom have moved south from North Island dairying strongholds such as Taranaki and the Waikato.

text: Cropping has always been important in the surrounding countryside. Wheat and barley and various strains of clover and other grasses for seed exporting have been the main crops. These have all created processing businesses in Christchurch. In recent years, regional agriculture has diversified, with a thriving wine industry springing up at Waipara, and beginnings of new horticulture industries such as olive production and processing. Deer farming has led to new processing using antlers for Asian medicine and aphrodisiacs. The high quality local wine in particular has increased the appeal of Canterbury and Christchurch to tourists.[74]

text: Industry[edit]

text: Christchurch is the second largest manufacturing centre in New Zealand behind Auckland, the sector being the second largest contributor to the local economy,[75] with firms such as Anderson's making steel work for bridges, tunnels, and hydro-electric dams in the early days of infrastructure work. Now manufacturing is mainly of light products and the key market is Australia, with firms such as those pioneered by the Stewart family among the larger employers. Before clothing manufacture largely moved to Asia, Christchurch was the centre of the New Zealand clothing industry, with firms such as LWR Industries. The firms that remain mostly design and market, and manufacture in Asia. The city also had five footwear manufacturers, but these have been replaced by imports.

text: In the last few decades, technology-based industries have sprung up in Christchurch.[76] Angus Tait founded Tait Electronics, a mobile-radio manufacturer, and other firms spun off from this, such as Dennis Chapman's Swichtec. In software, Cantabrian Gil Simpson founded a company that made LINC and Jade programming languages and a management buyout spawned local firm Wynyard Group.

text: There have also been spin-offs from the electrical department of the University of Canterbury engineering school. These included Pulse Data, which became Human Ware (making reading devices and computers for blind people and those with limited vision) and CES Communications (encryption). The Pulse Data founders had moved from the Canterbury University engineering school to work for Wormald Inc. when they set up Pulse Data through a Management buyout of their division.[citation needed]

text: In recent times, the University of Canterbury engineering school and computer science department play an important role in supplying staff and research for the technology industries, and the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology provides a flow of trained technicians and engineers. Locally and nationally, the IT sector is known not for its size (the third largest in New Zealand) but for producing innovative and entrepreneurial solutions, products and concepts.[77]

text: Tourism[edit]

text: Tourism is also a significant factor of the local economy. The close proximity of the ski fields and other attractions of the Southern Alps, and hotels, a casino, and an airport that meet international standards make Christchurch a stopover destination for many tourists. The city is popular with Japanese tourists,[78] with signage around Cathedral Square in Japanese.

text: Government[edit]

text: Local government[edit]

text: Christchurch's local government is a democracy with various elements including:

text:
Christchurch City Council, comprising the Mayor of Christchurch, and 16 councillors elected in 16 wards: Spreydon, Cashmere, Halswell, Riccarton, Hornby, Fendalton, Waimairi, Papanui, Innes, Central, Linwood, Heathcote, Harewood, Burwood, Coastal, and Banks Peninsula.
Community boards (six in the pre-amalgamation city area), each covering 2-3 wards with 2 members elected and one Councillor appointed from each: Spreydon-Cashmere, Papanui-Innes, Linwood-Central-Heathcote, Fendalton-Waimairi-Heathcote, Coastal-Burwood; and one covering Banks Peninsula but with members elected from 4 subdivisions.
District councils in surrounding areas: Selwyn, and Waimakariri. The Banks Peninsula district council was amalgamated into Christchurch City in March 2006 after a vote by the Banks Peninsula residents to disestablish in November 2005.
Canterbury Regional Council, known as 'Environment Canterbury', including four Christchurch constituencies with two members from each constituency.[79]
District Health Board (Canterbury), with five members for Christchurch.[80]

text: In 1993, Christchurch was selected as the "Best Run City in the World", also known as the 'Carl Bertelsmann Prize: Local Government', by the Bertelsmann Foundation of Germany. Especially noted was the increased efficiency of communal services in competition with private enterprises. Christchurch shared the award honour with Phoenix, Arizona, USA.[81]

text: Some of the local governments in Canterbury and the NZ Transport Agency have created the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy to facilitate future urban planning.[82]

text: National government[edit]

text: Christchurch is covered by seven general electorates (Christchurch Central, Christchurch East, Ilam, Port Hills, Selwyn, Waimakariri and Wigram) and one Māori electorate (Te Tai Tonga),[83] each returning one member to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The governing National Party holds four of the general electorates, while the opposing Labour Party holds the remainder. In addition, there are a varying number of Christchurch-based list MPs, who are elected via party lists. As of December 2015, there are seven list MPs in the House who contested Christchurch-based electorates at the 2014 election: two each from the National, Green and New Zealand First parties, and one from the Labour Party.

text: Education[edit]

text: Secondary schools[edit]

text: Christchurch is home to the fourth largest school in New Zealand, co-educational state school Burnside High School, with 2564 pupils.[84] Cashmere High School, Papanui High School and Riccarton High School are other large schools. There are four single-sex state schools: Shirley Boys' High School, Christchurch Boys' High School, Avonside Girls' High School and Christchurch Girls' High School.

text: Christchurch is also well known for several independent schools and church schools, some of them of the traditional English public school type. These include St Thomas of Canterbury College, St Margaret's College, Christ's College, St Bede's College, Marian College, St Andrew's College, Villa Maria College and Rangi Ruru Girls' School. Less conventional schools in the city include Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti and Hagley Community College.

text: Tertiary institutions[edit]

text: A number of tertiary education institutions have campuses in Christchurch, or in the surrounding areas.

text:
Ara Institute of Canterbury
Lincoln University
University of Canterbury
University of Otago, Christchurch

text: Transport[edit]

text: Christchurch is served by Christchurch International Airport and by buses (local and long-distance) and trains. The local bus service, known as Metro,[85] is provided by Environment Canterbury. The car, however, remains the dominant form of transport in the city, as with the rest of New Zealand.

text: Christchurch has an extensive bus network with bus routes serving most areas of the city and satellite towns. Nearly all bus routes travelled through the central city Bus Exchange before the earthquake but due to reduced passenger numbers since the earthquakes, especially in the central city, the bus network was reorganised to direct more localised services to 'hubs', such as major shopping centres, where they connect to the central station via core bus routes. Before the 2011 earthquakes, in addition to normal bus services, Christchurch also had a pioneering zero-fare hybrid bus service, the Shuttle, in the inner city. The service has been suspended following the earthquakes and it is unclear whether it will resume again in the future.[86] Bus services are also available leaving Christchurch, daily passenger bus services[87] operates between Dunedin and Christchurch on the State Highway 1.

text: Historically, Christchurch has been known as New Zealand's cycling city[88] and currently still attracts about 7% of commuters cycling. The central city has very flat terrain and the Christchurch City Council has established a network of cycle lanes and paths, such as the Railway Cycleway. Post-quake public consultation on rebuilding the city expressed a strong desire for a more sustainable transport system, particularly greater use of cycling again, and this has been reflected in the Council's strategic transport plan.[89]

text: The Christchurch City Council has committed NZ$68.5 million to build a network of modern cycleways over the next five years.[citation needed]

text: There is a functioning Christchurch tramway system in Christchurch, but as a tourist attraction; its loop is restricted to a circuit of the central city. The trams were originally introduced in 1905 as a form of public transport, and ceased operating in 1954,[90] but returned to the inner city (as a tourist attraction) in 1995. However, following the February 2011 earthquake, the system was damaged and within the cordoned off 'Red Zone' of the central city. The tramway reopened in November 2013 on a limited route, with plans to extend the tram route in 2014, first to reopen the complete pre-earthquake circuit, and then to open the extension travelling through the Re:Start Mall and High Street, which was being constructed when the 2011 earthquake struck.

text: There is a cable car system called the Christchurch Gondola which operates as a tourist attraction, providing transport from the Heathcote Valley to the top of Mount Cavendish in the city's south-east.

text: Rail services, both long-distance and commuter, used to focus on the former railway station on Moorhouse avenue. Commuter trains were progressively cancelled in the 1960s and 1970s. The last such service, between Christchurch and Rangiora, ceased in 1976. After the reduction in services a new Christchurch railway station was established at Addington Junction. The Main North Line railway travels northwards via Kaikoura to Picton and is served by the TranzCoastal passenger train, while the Main South Line heads to Invercargill via Dunedin and was used by the Southerner until its cancellation in 2002. The most famous train to depart Christchurch is the TranzAlpine, which travels along the Main South Line to Rolleston and then turns onto the Midland Line, passes through the Southern Alps via the Otira Tunnel, and terminates in Greymouth on the West Coast. This trip is often regarded as one of the ten great train journeys in the world for the amazing scenery through which it passes. The TranzAlpine service is primarily a tourist service and carries no significant commuter traffic.

text: Culture and entertainment[edit]

text: Christchurch is a distinctly English city, however it contains various European elements, with strong Gothic Revival architecture. As early settlers of New Zealand, Māori culture is also prevalent in the city. It features many public open spaces and parks, river beds and cafés and restaurants situated in the city centre and surrounding suburbs.

text: Cinema[edit]

text: While historically most cinemas were grouped around Cathedral Square,[91] only two cinemas remain there. The Regent complex was rebuilt as 'Regent on Worcester' in 1996. In 2009 Metro Cinemas opened in Worcester Street with three screens.

text: Only one of the first generation of suburban cinemas, the Hollywood in Sumner, remains open.[92] The largest multiplexes were the Hoyts 8 in the old railway station on Moorhouse Avenue (now demolished) and Reading Cinemas (also eight screens) in the Palms shopping centre in Shirley. Hoyts in Riccarton opened in 2005[93] with one of its screens for a time holding the record for the largest in New Zealand.

text: The Rialto Cinemas on Moorhouse avenue specialised in international films and art house productions. The Rialto also hosted the majority of the city's various film festivals and was home to the local film society. The Rialto was closed following the February 2011 earthquake.

text: The Christchurch Arts Centre includes two art house cinemas, Cloisters and The Academy, screening a wide selection of contemporary, classic and foreign language films.

text: The Canterbury Film Society is active in the city.[94]

text: The matricidal Peter Jackson film Heavenly Creatures (1994), starring Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet, was set in Christchurch.[95]

text: Parks and nature[edit]

text: The large number of public parks and well-developed residential gardens with many trees has given Christchurch the name of The Garden City.[96] Hagley Park and the 30-hectare (75 acre) Christchurch Botanic Gardens, founded in 1863, are in the central city, with Hagley Park being a site for sports such as golf, cricket, netball, and rugby, and for open-air concerts by local bands and orchestras. To the north of the city is the Willowbank wildlife park. Travis Wetland, an ecological restoration programme to create a wetland, is to the east of the city centre in the suburb of Burwood.

text: Television[edit]

text: Christchurch had its own regional television station Canterbury Television. CTV was first formed in 1991 and eased broadcasting on 16 December 2016. It aired both local, national and international content, including DW-TV and Al-jazeera World. Since 19 December 2016 CTV has operated as a web-based platform under the Star Media brand.

text: VTV, a Korean TV channel airs in Christchurch (also Auckland). It offers English content about Korea, from arirang World, and Korean-speaking content in SBS. This channel broadcast many of the latest dramas airing in Korea.

text: The city's main television transmitter is located atop Sugarloaf, in the Port Hills due south of the city centre, and broadcasts all major national television channels as well as the two local channels. All television channels in Christchurch have been broadcast in digital since analogue switch-off on 28 April 2013.

text: Theatre[edit]

text: Christchurch has one full-time professional theatre, the Court Theatre,[97] founded in 1971. Originally based in the Christchurch Arts Centre, the Court Theatre has been located in the suburb of Addington in temporary accommodation following the 2011 earthquakes. Alongside the Court, the co-operative and experimental Free Theatre Christchurch was established in 1979 and based in the Arts Centre from 1982.[98] There is also an active recreational theatre scene with community based theatre companies, such as the Christchurch Repertory Society,[99] Elmwood Players,[100] Riccarton Players,[101] and Canterbury Children's Theatre,[102] producing many quality shows. The Ngaio Marsh Theatre, located at the University of Canterbury, hosts a range of student drama groups, as well as other theatre groups. The Isaac Theatre Royal was originally opened in 1863, and has since been rebuilt four times, most recently following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.[103] The Isaac Theatre Royal reopened to the public on 17 November 2014.

text: Music[edit]

text: The city is known for its many live acts,[104][105][106][107] has a professional symphony orchestra,[108] and is the base of professional opera company, Southern Opera.[109] Christchurch is a home for experimental music scene of New Zealand. The town is the home to such bands as The Bats, The Narcs, Shocking Pinks and Bailter Space.

text: There are usually buskers around the town square and Christchurch also hosts the World Buskers Festival in January each year.[citation needed] Singer/songwriter Hayley Westenra launched her international career by busking in Christchurch. Soon she was signed to Universal Music Group New Zealand, then later to Decca Label Group in London, England, where she now bases her career.

text: Christchurch also has a Metal scene, with metal acts playing in various locations around the central city.[citation needed]

text: Some of New Zealand's acts such as Shapeshifter, Ladi6, Tiki Taane and Truth are from Christchurch. Promoters, Venues and clubs such as Bassfreaks, The Bedford and Dux Live regularly have international and New Zealand acts within the Drum and Bass scene performing live in Christchurch, along with dance parties, raves and gigs all featuring NZ and local Drum and Bass DJs, with often two or three happening on a single night or weekend (e.g. 2010 when UK Dubstep DJ Doctor P with Crushington was playing at The Bedford, while simultaneously Concord Dawn featuring Trei and Bulletproof was playing at Ministry).[citation needed] Independent Christchurch based radio station Pulzar FM is one of the few radio stations in New Zealand that plays Drum and Bass during the day.

text: In recent movements, hip hop has effectively landed in Christchurch.[clarification needed] In 2000, First Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit was held there. And in 2003, Christchurch's own Scribe released his debut album in New Zealand and has received five times platinum in that country, in addition to achieving two number one singles.[110][111]

text: Venues[edit]

text: The Horncastle Arena is New Zealand's second largest permanent multipurpose arena, seating between 5000 and 8000, depending on configuration. It is home of the Canterbury Tactix netball side. It was the venue for the 1999 World Netball championships and has been host to many concerts in recent years.

text: The Christchurch Town Hall auditorium (2500 seats, opened 1972) was the first major auditorium design by architects Warren and Mahoney and acoustician Marshall Day. It is still recognised as a model example of concert-hall design with an excellent modern pipe organ. The town hall is currently closed for repair after the significant damage caused by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

text: Christchurch also has a casino,[112] and there are also a wide range of live music venues[104][113]—some short-lived, others with decades of history. Classical music concerts are held at the Christchurch Music Centre.

text: In late 2014 it was announced that a 284 million dollar project was underway to build a convention centre located on the block defined by Armagh Street, Oxford Terrace, Worcester Street and Colombo Street. Gloucester Street will become part of the Centre itself, but will allow for retail use and public access. The convention centre will be able to host several events at the same time; starting with space for up to 2,000 people, this will complement facilities in Auckland and Queenstown. The scheduled opening of the convention centre is uncertain.[114]

text: Sport[edit]

text: Teams[edit]

text:
Crusaders, formerly the 'Canterbury Crusaders', are a rugby union team based in Christchurch that compete in the Super Rugby competition.
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union, which governs rugby union in Christchurch and the surrounding region, fields a team that represents the city in the ITM Cup.
Canterbury Kings are Christchurch's men's cricket team in New Zealand's State Championship while the Canterbury Magicians play in the counterpart women's tournament
Canterbury Cavaliers and Cats play in the National Hockey League (NHL)
Canterbury Tactix play in the national ANZ Premiership, after the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship netball league finished in 2016. Prior to 2008, the Canterbury Flames played in the national netball league, competing for the National Bank Cup.
Canterbury United play in the New Zealand Football Championship.
Canterbury Rams play in the National Basketball League.
Canterbury Red Devils play in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL).
In addition, Christchurch Football Club, an amateur rugby union club, was founded in 1863, believed to be the oldest club of any code in New Zealand.[115]

text: Events[edit]

text:
1974 British Commonwealth Games
1982 Women's Cricket World Cup
1989 XVI World Games for the Deaf (Now known Deaflympics) This was the first time the World Deaf Games was held in the Southern Hemisphere, in Christchurch
1992 Cricket World Cup
1999 World Netball Championships
2000 Women's Cricket World Cup
2011 IPC Athletics World Championships
2015 Cricket World Cup

text: Venues[edit]

text:
Addington Raceway at Addington has been a venue for harness racing since 1899. Racing is conducted by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club and it is regarded as the premier venue for the sport in New Zealand.[116]
Alpine Ice is an ice skating rink home to the Canterbury Red Devils. It has hosted many national and international Ice Hockey tournaments, figure skating and speed skating events. The rink is home to Ice Sports in Canterbury, in turn hosting numerous Ice Sports Clubs including the Canterbury Ice Hockey Association.
English Park in St Albans is the home venue for the Christchurch United Soccer team that plays in the national league.
Golf courses: Christchurch has more than a dozen golf courses, and has hosted the PGA Tour of Australasia/Nationwide Tour co-sanctioned Clearwater Classic/NZ PGA Championship at Clearwater Resort since 2002.*Hagley Oval has been used on-and-off as a venue for local, national and international cricket matches for decades, and in 2013 it was announced that a new cricket venue will be built on the site.
Horncastle Arena in Addington, Christchurch. Hosted the 1999 Netball World Championships and continues to host international basketball and netball games.
Lancaster Park (formerly Jade Stadium & AMI Stadium) was Christchurch's premier outdoor sporting ground, which played host to rugby union in the winter months and cricket in the summer months. It was home to the Crusaders Super Rugby and Canterbury Air New Zealand Cup rugby teams. It was also used by the New Zealand national cricket team and occasionally hosted a New Zealand Warriors rugby league match. Is had a capacity of around 40,000 people for sporting fixtures, and around 50,000 for concerts. Damaged during the 2011 February earthquake, the facility's future is uncertain.[117]
Malvern Park in St Albans hosts inter-high school competition matches as well as minor league matches. Also training grounds for the Canterbury Crusaders.
Nunweek Park in Bishopdale is the main hockey venue in the city. Porritt Park in Avonside was the main venue until the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, when it was damaged by liquefaction.
Queen Elizabeth II Park was built for the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, which Christchurch hosted. It is used primarily as an athletics park, but also contains a newly upgraded swimming pool complex. It has hosted major concerts from bands such as AC/DC and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The facility has been demolished due to damage sustained in the 22 February earthquake.[118]

text: Sister cities[edit]

text: Christchurch has seven sister cities around the world. They are:[119]

text:
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia (1972)
 Christchurch, Dorset, England, United Kingdom (1972)
 Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan (1973)
 Seattle, Washington, United States of America (1981)
 Lanzhou, Gansu, China (1984)
 Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1995)
 Wuhan, Hubei, China (2006)


document_title: List of Ryder Cup matches

question_text: who captained europe last time they won in europe

root

text: List of Ryder Cup matches

text: History[edit]

text: The first Ryder Cup match was contested in June 1927. The competition held at Worcester Country Club was won 9½–2½ by the United States. British captain Ted Ray cited the Americans' "superior putting" as the reason for their victory.[7] Great Britain improved for the 1929 competition, winning 7–5 at Moortown Golf Club.[8] However, they were unable to replicate this performance in 1931. In 100 degree heat and missing a number of their best players, they were unable to match the Americans at the Scioto Country Club and lost 9–3.[9] The 1933 contest at the Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club was a closer affair than previous matches. It came down to the final match between Syd Easterbrook and Denny Shute. The American Shute had a putt to win the competition, but missed two in succession leaving Easterbrook with a putt to win the contest, which he made to secure a 6½–5½ victory for the British team.[10] The United States regained the Cup in 1935, when they beat Great Britain 9–3 at Ridgewood Country Club.[11] They became the first team to win the competition outside of their own country in 1937 when they beat the British team 8–4 at Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club.[12]

tag: p

text: The advent of the Second World War meant the Ryder Cup was not contested again until 1947 at Portland Golf Club. The United States dominated the match in wet conditions, as Great Britain scored one point in an 11–1 defeat.[13] The 1949 match was closer than the previous contest. Great Britain went into the final day with a 3–1 lead, but they were unable to secure the three and a half points they needed to win and lost 7–5.[14] The 1951 contest at Pinehurst Resort, was again won by the United States. Such was the dominance in their 9½–2½ victory, that only two of the twelve matches reached the 18th hole.[15] Before the 1953 contest Great Britain were given a boost when American Ben Hogan decided not to participate. He had won three of the four men's major golf championships during the year and his absence gave them optimism. However, they were unable to beat the United States; mistakes at the end of their singles matches by Peter Alliss and Bernard Hunt cost Great Britain as they lost 6½–5½.[16] Despite recording their best points total in matches held in the United States, Great Britain were again defeated in 1955. The United States won 8–4 to extend their winning streak to 21 years.[17]

text: The 1957 contest saw Great Britain regain the Cup for the first time since 1933. They were 3–1 down after the first round of matches, but victory in five out of the seven singles matches made the difference as they won 7½–4½.[18] The United States regained the Ryder Cup in 1959 beating Great Britain 8½–3½. The match was the last to be contested over 36 holes of foursomes and singles matches. The format changed to two 18 hole sets of foursomes and singles in 1961, doubling the number of points available from 12 to 24.[19][20] The change in format did not affect the trend of American dominance as they won 14½–9½ at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club.[21] Two sets of four balls were introduced in 1963, increasing the number of points available to 32.[22] Again, the changes made little difference to the outcome as the United States won 23–9 at East Lake Golf Club. British player Henry Cotton summed up the display from the Americans, stating: "We have been outclassed."[23] The 1965 match at Royal Birkdale Golf Club started well for Great Britain, as they were trailing the United States 9–7 going into the singles matches. But the Americans proved too strong, winning the majority of the matches to win the contest 19½–12½.[24]

text: The 1967 match continued the trend of American victories, as the United States won 23½–8½ at Champions Golf Club.[25] Unlike in previous years, the 1969 match was much closer. The match came down to the last hole of the final singles match between American Jack Nicklaus and British golfer Tony Jacklin. Nicklaus made his putt, which left Jacklin with a putt to tie the match. Despite this, Nicklaus conceded the putt, picking up Jacklin's ball marker. As a result their match was tied, as was the contest at 16–16.[26] The United States won again in 1971, beating Great Britain 18½–13½.[27] The 1973 match was the first held in Scotland at Muirfield.[28] The outcome remained the same as Great Britain lost 19–13.[29] The 1975 match at Laurel Valley Golf Club was similar with the United States winning 21–11.[30] The format changed again in 1977, as matches were reduced by nearly a third leaving 20 points available. The changed requested by Great Britain & Ireland did little to change the outcome, as the United States won 12½–7½.[31] Golfers from continental Europe were allowed to compete for the first time in 1979. There was another change to the format, the first two days now consisted of eight foursomes and fourballs, with twelve singles matches on the final day. Again, the changes had little effect on the outcome as the United States won 17–11.[32]

text: The 1981 match was originally scheduled to take place at The Belfry, but construction of the course was not completed on time and Walton Heath Golf Club was used instead. The United States, containing a team that had won 36 major championships between them, dominated the match winning 18½–9½.[33] The 1983 match at PGA National Golf Club was the closest in recent years. After the first two days the match was tied at 8–8. Europe fell short in the singles match, winning four out of the twelve matches and lost the contest 14½–13½.[34] The 1985 match held at the now completed Belfry, saw Europe win the trophy for the first time in 28 years. Leading 9–7 going into the final day, they won six singles matches to secure a 16½–11½ victory.[35] Europe retained the Ryder Cup in 1987, beating the United States 15–13 at Muirfield Village, to win in the United States for the first time.[36] The 1989 match was only the second time the contest ended in a tie. Europe were in commanding position when José Maria Cañizares won his singles match, but defeat in the last four matches meant the match finished 14–14.[37] The 1991 match at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, known as the "War on the Shore", saw the United States regain the Cup. The scores were tied at 8–8 going into the final day and the match came down to the last singles match between Europe's Bernhard Langer and American golfer Hale Irwin. Langer missed a 6 feet (1.8 m) putt at the last hole, which meant the United States won 14½–13½.[38] The United States retained the Cup in 1993, winning 15–13 at The Belfry.[39] Europe regained the trophy in 1995, defeating the United States 14½–13½ at Oak Hill Country Club.[40]

text: The Ryder Cup was played outside of the British Isles for the first time in 1997, as Valderrama Golf Club in Spain hosted the contest. Despite taking a five-point lead into the final day, Europe needed the half point Colin Montgomerie secured in his tied singles match with Scott Hoch to win 14½–13½.[41] The 1999 match was the third time in succession the contest had been won by a single point, but this time it was the United States who won 14½–13½.[42] This was not without controversy, as Europe were unhappy with the celebrations by the American team after a putt by Justin Leonard, while European golfer José María Olazábal still had a chance of holing his putt.[43] The Ryder Cup was scheduled to be played in 2001, but two weeks before the competition was scheduled to take place the September 11 attacks occurred. The United States fearing for their safety requested the match be played a year later in 2002.[44] When the match was played, Europe won 15½–12½ to regain the Cup.[45] They retained the Cup in 2004 when they won 18½–9½ at Oakland Hills Country Club, in what was the United States' heaviest defeat in the competition.[46] The result was repeated in 2006 at the K Club. Europe's 18½–9½ victory marked the first time they had won three matches in succession.[47] The United States regained the Ryder Cup in 2008, winning for the first time since 1999. They won the match when Jim Furyk beat Miguel Ángel Jiménez with four singles matches still ongoing, to win 16½–11½.[48] A tight contest in 2010 came down to the final singles match between European Graeme McDowell and American golfer Hunter Mahan. McDowell won his match with a hole to spare, to give Europe a 14½–13½ victory.[49] Europe recovered a 10–6 deficit on the last day in 2012, as they won eight of the twelve singles matches to win 14½–13½.[50]

text: United States vs Great Britain/Great Britain & Ireland (1927–1977)[edit]

text:
Key

Match was tied

tag: table

text: The "Year" column refers to the year the match was held, and wikilinks to the article about that match.

tag: ul

text:
Ryder Cup matches

Year

Winners

Score

Runners-up

Host country

Venue

GBI captain

United States captain

1927

 United States

9½–2½

 Great Britain

United States

Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts

 Ted Ray

Walter Hagen

1929

 Great Britain

7–5

 United States

England

Moortown Golf Club, Yorkshire

 George Duncan

Walter Hagen

1931

 United States

9–3

 Great Britain

United States

Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio

 Charles Whitcombe

Walter Hagen

1933

 Great Britain

6½–5½

 United States

England

Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Lancashire

 John Henry Taylor

Walter Hagen

1935

 United States

9–3

 Great Britain

United States

Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, New Jersey

 Charles Whitcombe

Walter Hagen

1937

 United States

8–4

 Great Britain

England

Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Lancashire

 Charles Whitcombe

Walter Hagen

1947

 United States

11–1

 Great Britain

United States

Portland Golf Club, Portland, Oregon

 Henry Cotton

Ben Hogan

1949

 United States

7–5

 Great Britain

England

Ganton Golf Club, Scarborough, Yorkshire

 Charles Whitcombe

Ben Hogan

1951

 United States

9½–2½

 Great Britain

United States

Pinehurst Resort Course No. 2, North Carolina

 Arthur Lacey

Sam Snead

1953

 United States

6½–5½

 Great Britain

England

Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey

 Henry Cotton

Lloyd Mangrum

1955

 United States

8–4

 Great Britain

United States

Thunderbird Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California

 Dai Rees

Chick Harbert

1957

 Great Britain

7½–4½

 United States

England

Lindrick Golf Club, West Riding of Yorkshire

 Dai Rees

Jack Burke, Jr.

1959

 United States

8½–3½

 Great Britain

United States

Eldorado Golf Club, Indian Wells, California

 Dai Rees

Sam Snead

1961

 United States

14½–9½

 Great Britain

England

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire

 Dai Rees

Jerry Barber

1963

 United States

23–9

 Great Britain

United States

Atlanta Athletic Club, Atlanta, Georgia[a]

 John Fallon

Arnold Palmer

1965

 United States

19½–12½

 Great Britain

England

Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Lancashire

 Harry Weetman

Byron Nelson

1967

 United States

23½–8½

 Great Britain

United States

Champions Golf Club, Houston, Texas

 Dai Rees

Ben Hogan

1969

 United States [A]

16–16

 Great Britain

England

Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Lancashire

 Eric Brown

Sam Snead

1971

 United States

18½–13½

 Great Britain

United States

Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis, Missouri

 Eric Brown

Jay Hebert

1973

 United States

19–13

  Great Britain & Ireland

Scotland

Muirfield, Gullane, East Lothian

 Bernard Hunt

Jack Burke, Jr.

1975

 United States

21–11

  Great Britain & Ireland

United States

Laurel Valley Golf Club, Ligonier, Pennsylvania

 Bernard Hunt

Arnold Palmer

1977

 United States

12½–7½

  Great Britain & Ireland

England

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire

 Brian Huggett

Dow Finsterwald

text: Jump up ^ This is not the current Atlanta Athletic Club site in the Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek, Georgia, but is instead the original AAC course that is now known as East Lake Golf Club.

tag: ol

text: United States vs Europe (1979–present)[edit]

text:
Key

Match was tied

text:
Ryder Cup matches

Year

Winners

Score

Runners-up

Host country

Venue

Europe captain

United States captain

1979

 United States

17–11

 Europe

United States

The Greenbrier, The Greenbrier Course, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

 John Jacobs

Billy Casper

1981

 United States

18½–9½

 Europe

England

Walton Heath Golf Club, Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey

 John Jacobs

Dave Marr

1983

 United States

14½–13½

 Europe

United States

PGA National Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

 Tony Jacklin

Jack Nicklaus

1985

 Europe

16½–11½

 United States

England

The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire

 Tony Jacklin

Lee Trevino

1987

 Europe

15–13

 United States

United States

Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio

 Tony Jacklin

Jack Nicklaus

1989

 Europe[A]

14–14

 United States

England

The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire

 Tony Jacklin

Raymond Floyd

1991

 United States

14½–13½

 Europe

United States

Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

 Bernard Gallacher

Dave Stockton

1993

 United States

15–13

 Europe

England

The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire

 Bernard Gallacher

Tom Watson

1995

 Europe

14½–13½

 United States

United States

Oak Hill Country Club, East Course, Rochester, New York

 Bernard Gallacher

Lanny Wadkins

1997

 Europe

14½–13½

 United States

Spain

Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, Andalusia

 Seve Ballesteros

Tom Kite

1999

 United States

14½–13½

 Europe

United States

The Country Club, Composite Course, Brookline, Massachusetts

 Mark James

Ben Crenshaw

2002

 Europe

15½–12½

 United States

England

The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire

 Sam Torrance

Curtis Strange

2004

 Europe

18½–9½

 United States

United States

Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

 Bernhard Langer

Hal Sutton

2006

 Europe

18½–9½

 United States

Republic of Ireland

K Club, Palmer Course, Straffan, County Kildare

 Ian Woosnam

Tom Lehman

2008

 United States

16½–11½

 Europe

United States

Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky

 Nick Faldo

Paul Azinger

2010

 Europe

14½–13½

 United States

Wales

Celtic Manor Resort, Twenty Ten Course, Newport

 Colin Montgomerie

Corey Pavin

2012

 Europe

14½–13½

 United States

United States

Medinah Country Club, Course 3, Medinah, Illinois

 José María Olazábal

Davis Love III

2014

 Europe

16½–11½

 United States

Scotland

Gleneagles, PGA Centenary Course, Perth & Kinross

 Paul McGinley

Tom Watson

2016

 United States

17–11

 Europe

United States

Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota

 Darren Clarke

Davis Love III

2018

 Europe

17½–10½

 United States

France

Le Golf National, Albatros Course, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

 Thomas Bjørn

Jim Furyk

text: Results by team[edit]

text:
Team

From

To

Matches

Wins

Losses

Ties

 United States

1927

2018

42

26

14

2

 Great Britain/ Great Britain &  Ireland

1927

1977

22

3

18

1

 Europe

1979

2018

20

11

8

1

text: Venues[edit]

text: Maps of Ryder Cup venues.

text: Notes[edit]

text: A.   a b  In the event of a match ending in a tie, the team who last won the Ryder Cup retains the Cup.[51]


document_title: Biblical Magi

question_text: where did the names of the magi come from

text: Biblical Magi

text: Biblical account[edit]

text: Traditional nativity scenes depict three "Wise Men" visiting the infant Jesus on the night of his birth, in a manger accompanied by the shepherds and angels, but this should be understood as an artistic convention allowing the two separate scenes of the Adoration of the Shepherds on the birth night and the later Adoration of the Magi to be combined for convenience.[7]  The single biblical account in Matthew simply presents an event at an unspecified point after Christ's birth in which an unnumbered party of unnamed "wise men" ("μάγοι") visits him in a house ("οἰκίαν"),[8] not a stable, with only "his mother" mentioned as present. The New Revised Standard Version of Matthew 2:1–12 describes the visit of the Magi in this manner:

text: In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path.

text: The text specifies no interval between the birth and the visit, and artistic depictions and the closeness of the traditional dates of December 25 and January 6 encourage the popular assumption that the visit took place the same winter as the birth, but later traditions varied, with the visit taken as occurring up to two winters later. This maximum interval explained Herod's command at Matthew 2:16–18 that the Massacre of the Innocents included boys up to two years old. More recent commentators, not tied to the traditional feast days, may suggest a variety of intervals.[9]

text: The wise men are mentioned twice shortly thereafter in verse 16, in reference to their avoidance of Herod after seeing Jesus, and what Herod had learned from their earlier meeting. The star which they followed has traditionally become known as the Star of Bethlehem.

text: Description[edit]

text: The Magi are popularly referred to as wise men and kings. The word magi is the plural of Latin magus, borrowed from Greek μάγος magos,[10] as used in the original Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew ("μάγοι"). Greek magos itself is derived from Old Persian maguŝ from the Avestan magâunô, i.e., the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born (see Yasna 33.7: "ýâ sruyê parê magâunô" = "so I can be heard beyond Magi"). The term refers to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism.[11] As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science. Their religious practices and use of astrology caused derivatives of the term Magi to be applied to the occult in general and led to the English term magic, although Zoroastrianism was in fact strongly opposed to sorcery. The King James Version translates the term as wise men; the same translation is applied to the wise men led by Daniel of earlier Hebrew Scriptures (Daniel 2:48).  The same word is given as sorcerer and sorcery when describing "Elymas the sorcerer" in Acts 13:6–11, and Simon Magus, considered a heretic by the early Church, in Acts 8:9–13. Several translations refer to the men outright as astrologers at Matthew Chapter 2, including New English Bible (1961); Phillips New Testament in Modern English (J.B.Phillips, 1972);  Twentieth Century New Testament (1904 revised edition); Amplified Bible (1958-New Testament); An American Translation (1935, Goodspeed); and The Living Bible (K. Taylor, 1962-New Testament).

text: Although the Magi are commonly referred to as "kings," there is nothing in the account from the Gospel of Matthew that implies that they were rulers of any kind. The identification of the Magi as kings is linked to Old Testament prophecies that describe the Messiah being worshipped by kings in Isaiah 60:3, Psalm 68:29, and Psalm 72:10, which reads, "Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations serve him."[12][13][14] Early readers reinterpreted Matthew in light of these prophecies and elevated the Magi to kings. By AD 500 all commentators adopted the prevalent tradition that the three were kings.[15]  Later Christian interpretation stressed the Adorations of the Magi and shepherds as the first recognition by the people of the earth of Christ as the Redeemer, but the reformer John Calvin was vehemently opposed to referring to the Magi as kings. He once wrote: "But the most ridiculous contrivance of the Papists on this subject is, that those men were kings... Beyond all doubt, they have been stupefied by a righteous judgment of God, that all might laugh at [their] gross ignorance."[16][17]

text: Names[edit]

text: The New Testament does not give the names of the Magi.  However, traditions and legends identify a variety of different names for them.[18]  In the Western Christian church, they have been all regarded as saints and are commonly known as:

text:
Melchior (/ˈmɛlkiˌɔːr/;[19] also Melichior[20]), a Persian scholar;
Caspar (/ˈkæspər/ or /ˈkæspɑːr/;[21] also Gaspar, Jaspar, Jaspas, Gathaspa,[20][22] and other variations), an Indian scholar;
Balthazar (/ˈbælθəˌzɑːr/ or /bælˈθæzər/;[23] also Balthasar, Balthassar, and Bithisarea[20]), a Babylonian scholar.

text: Encyclopædia Britannica[24] states: "according to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India." These names apparently derive from a Greek manuscript probably composed in Alexandria around 500, and which has been translated into Latin with the title Excerpta Latina Barbari.[20] Another Greek document from the 8th century, of presumed Irish origin and translated into Latin with the title Collectanea et Flores, continues the tradition of three kings and their names and gives additional details.[25][26]

text: One candidate for the origin of the name Caspar appears in the Acts of Thomas as Gondophares (21 – c. AD 47), i.e., Gudapharasa (from which "Caspar" might derive as corruption of "Gaspar"). This Gondophares declared independence from the Arsacids to become the first Indo-Parthian king, and he was allegedly visited by Thomas the Apostle. According to Ernst Herzfeld, his name is perpetuated in the name of the Afghan city Kandahar, which he is said to have founded under the name Gundopharron.[27]

text: In contrast, many Syrian Christians name the Magi Larvandad, Gushnasaph, and Hormisdas.[28] These names have a far greater likelihood of being originally Persian, though that does not guarantee their authenticity.

text:
In the Eastern churches, Ethiopian Christianity, for instance, has Hor, Karsudan, and Basanater, while the Armenian Catholics have Kagpha, Badadakharida and Badadilma.[29][30]
Many Chinese Christians believe that one of the magi came from China.[31]

text: Country of origin and journey[edit]

text: The phrase from the east (ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν), more literally from the rising [of the sun], is the only information Matthew provides about the region from which they came. The Parthian Empire, centered in Persia, occupied virtually all of the land east of Judea and Syria (except for the deserts of Arabia to the southeast). Though the empire was tolerant of other religions, its dominant religion was Zoroastrianism, with its priestly magos class.[32]

text: Although Matthew's account does not explicitly cite the motivation for their journey (other than seeing the star in the east, which they took to be the star of the King of the Jews), the Syriac Infancy Gospel provides some clarity by stating explicitly in the third chapter that they were pursuing a prophecy from their prophet, Zoradascht (Zoroaster).[33]

text: There is an Armenian tradition identifying the "Magi of Bethlehem" as Balthasar of Arabia, Melchior of Persia, and Gaspar of India.[34] Historian John of Hildesheim relates a tradition in the ancient silk road city of Taxila (near Islamabad in Pakistan) that one of the Magi passed through the city on the way to Bethlehem.[35]

text: Sebastian Brock, a historian of Christianity, has said: "It was no doubt among converts from Zoroastrianism that… certain legends were developed around the Magi of the Gospels".[36][37] And Anders Hultgård concluded that the Gospel story of the Magi was influenced by an Iranian legend concerning magi and a star, which was connected with Persian beliefs in the rise of a star predicting the birth of a ruler and with myths describing the manifestation of a divine figure in fire and light.[38]

text: A model for the homage of the Magi might have been provided, it has been suggested, by the journey to Rome of King Tiridates I of Armenia, with his magi, to pay homage to the Emperor Nero, which took place in 66 AD, a few years before the date assigned to the composition of the Gospel of Matthew.[39][40]

text: There was a tradition that the Central Asian Naimans and their Christian relatives, the Keraites, were descended from the Biblical Magi.[41] This heritage passed to the Mongol dynasty of Genghis Khan when Sorghaghtani, niece of the Keraite ruler Toghrul, married Tolui, the youngest son of Genghis, and became the mother of Möngke Khan and his younger brother and successor, Kublai Khan. Toghrul became identified with the legendary Central Asian Christian king, Prester John, whose Mongol descendants were sought as allies against the Muslims by contemporary European monarchs and popes.[42] Sempad the Constable, elder brother of King Hetoum I of Cilician Armenia, visited the Mongol court in Karakorum in 1247–1250 and in 1254. He wrote a letter to Henry I  King of Cyprus and Queen Stephanie (Sempad’s sister) from Samarkand in 1243, in which he said: “Tanchat [Tangut, or Western Xia], which is the land from whence came the Three Kings to Bethlehem to worship the Lord Jesus which was born. And know that the power of Christ has been, and is, so great, that the people of that land are Christians; and the whole land of Chata [Khitai, or Kara-Khitai] believes those Three Kings. I have myself been in their churches and have seen pictures of Jesus Christ and the Three Kings, one offering gold, the second frankincense, and the third myrrh. And it is through those Three Kings that they believe in Christ, and that the Chan and his people have now become Christians”.[43] The legendary Christian ruler of Central Asia, Prester John was reportedly a descendant of one of the Magi.[44]

text: "Long before the time of Christ, India had trade relations with Palestine; much of the commerce between the Orient and the Mediterranean civilizations (including Egypt, Greece, and Rome) passed through Jerusalem", so it is very likely that Wise Men could have been "great sages of India", as Paramahansa Yogananda wrote in his “The Second Coming of Christ – The Resurrection of the Christ Within You” (2004, pp. 56–59).

text: Gestures of respect[edit]

text: The Magi are described as "falling down", "kneeling" or "bowing" in the worship of Jesus.[45] This gesture, together with Luke's birth narrative, had an important effect on Christian religious practices. They were indicative of great respect, and typically used when venerating a king. While prostration is now rarely practised in the West it is still relatively common in the Eastern Churches, especially during Lent. Kneeling has remained an important element of Christian worship to this day.

text: Traditional identities and symbolism[edit]

text: Apart from their names, the three Magi developed distinct characteristics in Christian tradition, so that between them they represented the three ages of (adult) man, three geographical and cultural areas, and sometimes other things.  In the normal Western account, reflected in art by the 14th century (for example in the Arena Chapel by Giotto in 1305) Caspar is old, normally with a white beard, and gives the gold; he is "King of Tarsus, land of merchants" on the Mediterranean coast of modern Turkey, and is first in line to kneel to Christ.  Melchior is middle-aged, giving frankincense from his native Arabia, and Balthazar is a young man, very often and increasingly black-skinned, with myrrh from Saba (modern south Yemen).  Their ages were often given as 60, 40 and 20 respectively, and their geographical origins were rather variable, with Balthazar increasingly coming from Ethiopia or other parts of Africa, and being represented accordingly.[46]  Balthazar's blackness has been the subject of considerable recent scholarly attention; in art it is found mostly in northern Europe, beginning from the 12th century, and becoming very common in the north by the 15th.[47]

text: Gifts[edit]

text: Three gifts are explicitly identified in Matthew: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, in Koine Greek: chrysós (χρυσός), líbanos (λίβανος) and smýrna (σμύρνα). Many different theories of the meaning and symbolism of the gifts have been brought forward. While gold is fairly obviously explained, frankincense, and particularly myrrh, are much more obscure. See the previous section for who gave which.

text: The theories generally break down into two groups:

text:
All three gifts are ordinary offerings and gifts given to a king. Myrrh being commonly used as an anointing oil, frankincense as a perfume, and gold as a valuable.
The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death.
This dates back to Origen in Contra Celsum: "gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to a God."[48]
These interpretations are alluded to in the verses of the popular carol "We Three Kings" in which the magi describe their gifts. The last verse includes a summary of the interpretation: "Glorious now behold Him arise/King and God and sacrifice."
Sometimes this is described more generally as gold symbolizing virtue, frankincense symbolizing prayer, and myrrh symbolizing suffering.

text: Myrrh was used as an embalming ointment and as a penitential incense in funerals and cremations until the 15th century. The "holy oil" traditionally used by the Eastern Orthodox Church for performing the sacraments of chrismation and unction is traditionally scented with myrrh, and receiving either of these sacraments is commonly referred to as "receiving the myrrh". The picture of the Magi on the 7th century Franks Casket shows the third visitor – he who brings myrrh – with a valknut over his back, a pagan symbol referring to Death.[49]

text: It has been suggested by scholars that the "gifts" were medicinal rather than precious material for tribute.[50][51][52]

text: The Syrian King Seleucus II Callinicus is recorded to have offered gold, frankincense and myrrh (among other items) to Apollo in his temple at Miletus in 243 BC, and this may have been the precedent for the mention of these three gifts in Gospel of Matthew (2:11).  It was these three gifts, it is thought, which were the chief cause for the number of the Magi becoming fixed eventually at three.[53]

text: This episode can be linked to Isaiah 60 and to Psalm 72 which report gifts being given by kings, and this has played a central role in the perception of the Magi as kings, rather than as astronomer-priests. In a hymn of the late 4th-century hispanic poet Prudentius, the three gifts have already gained their medieval interpretation as prophetic emblems of Jesus' identity, familiar in the carol "We Three Kings" by John Henry Hopkins, Jr., 1857.

text: John Chrysostom suggested that the gifts were fit to be given not just to a king but to God, and contrasted them with the Jews' traditional offerings of sheep and calves, and accordingly Chrysostom asserts that the Magi worshiped Jesus as God.

text: What subsequently happened to these gifts is never mentioned in the scripture, but several traditions have developed.[54] One story has the gold being stolen by the two thieves who were later crucified alongside Jesus. Another tale has it being entrusted to and then misappropriated by Judas. One tradition suggests that Joseph and Mary used the gold to finance their travels when they fled Bethlehem after an angel had warned, in a dream, about King Herod's plan to kill Jesus. And another story proposes the theory that the myrrh given to them at Jesus' birth was used to anoint Jesus' body after his crucifixion.

text: There was a 15th-century golden case purportedly containing the Gift of the Magi housed in the Monastery of St. Paul of Mount Athos. It was donated to the monastery in the 15th century by Mara Branković, daughter of the King of Serbia Đurađ Branković, wife to the Ottoman Sultan Murat II and godmother to Mehmet II the Conqueror (of Constantinople). After the Athens earthquake of September 9, 1999 they were temporarily displayed in Athens in order to strengthen faith and raise money for earthquake victims. The relics were displayed in Ukraine and Belarus in Christmas of 2014, and thus left Greece for the first time since the 15th century.[55]

text: Martyrdom traditions[edit]

text: Christian Scriptures record nothing about the Biblical Magi after reporting their going back to their own country (Matthew 2:12 uses the feminine singular noun, χώραν, noting one country, territory or region of origin). Two separate traditions have surfaced claiming that they were so moved by their encounter with Jesus that they either became Christians on their own or were quick to convert fully upon later encountering an Apostle of Jesus. The traditions claim that they were so strong in their beliefs that they willingly embraced martyrdom.

text: Chronicon of Dexter[edit]

text: One tradition gained popularity in Spain during the 17th century; it was found in a work called the Chronicon of Dexter. The work was ascribed to Flavius Lucius Dexter the bishop of Barcelona, under Theodosius the Great. The tradition appears in the form of a simple martyrology reading, "In Arabia Felix, in the city of Sessania of the Adrumeti, the martyrdom of the holy kings, the three Magi, Gaspar, Balthassar, and Melchior who adored Christ."[56] First appearing in 1610, the Chronicon of Dexter was immensely popular along with the traditions it contained throughout the 17th century. Later, this was all brought into question when historians and the Catholic hierarchy in Rome declared the work a pious forgery.[57]

text: Relics at Cologne[edit]

text: A competing tradition asserts that the Biblical Magi "were martyred for the faith, and that their bodies were first venerated at Constantinople; thence they were transferred to Milan in 344. It is certain that when Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor (Barbarossa) imposed his authority on Milan, the relics there were transferred to Cologne Cathedral, housed in the Shrine of the Three Kings, and are venerated there today."[56]  The Milanese treated the fragments of masonry from their now-empty tomb as secondary relics and these were widely distributed around the region, including southern France, accounting for the frequency with which the Magi appear on chasse reliquaries in Limoges enamel.[58]

text: Tombs[edit]

text: There are several traditions on where the remains of the Magi are located, although none of the traditions is considered as an established fact or even as particularly likely by secular history. Marco Polo claimed that he was shown the three tombs of the Magi at Saveh south of Tehran in the 1270s:

text: In Persia is the city of Saba, from which the Three Magi set out and in this city they are buried, in three very large and beautiful monuments, side by side. And above them there is a square building, beautifully kept. The bodies are still entire, with hair and beard remaining.

text: Paul William Roberts provides some modern-day corroboration of this possibility in his book Journey of the Magi.[59]

text: A Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral, according to tradition, contains the bones of the Three Wise Men. Reputedly they were first discovered by Saint Helena on her famous pilgrimage to Palestine and the Holy Lands. She took the remains to the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople; they were later moved to Milan (some sources say by the city's bishop, Eustorgius I[60]), before being sent to their current resting place by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I in 1164. The Milanese celebrate their part in the tradition by holding a medieval costume parade every 6 January.

text: A version of the detailed elaboration familiar to us is laid out by the 14th century cleric John of Hildesheim's Historia Trium Regum ("History of the Three Kings"). In accounting for the presence in Cologne of their mummified relics, he begins with the journey of Helena, mother of Constantine I to Jerusalem, where she recovered the True Cross and other relics:

text: Queen Helen… began to think greatly of the bodies of these three kings, and she arrayed herself, and accompanied by many attendants, went into the Land of Ind… after she had found the bodies of Melchior, Balthazar, and Gaspar, Queen Helen put them into one chest and ornamented it with great riches, and she brought them into Constantinople... and laid them in a church that is called Saint Sophia.

text: Religious significance[edit]

text: The visit of the Magi is commemorated in most Western Christian churches by the observance of Epiphany, 6 January, which also serves as the feast of the three as saints.  The Eastern Orthodox celebrate the visit of the Magi on 25 December.

text: Qur'an omits Matthew's episode of the Magi. However, the Persian Muslim encyclopaedist al-Tabari, writing in the 9th century, gives the familiar symbolism of the gifts of the Magi. Al-Tabari gave his source for the information to be the later 7th century Perso-Yemenite writer Wahb ibn Munabbih.[61]

text: Traditions[edit]

text: Holidays celebrating the arrival of the Magi traditionally recognise a distinction between the date of their arrival and the date of Jesus' birth. The account given in the Gospel of Matthew does not state that they were present on the night of the birth; in the Gospel of Luke, Joseph and Mary remain in Bethlehem until it is time for Jesus' dedication, in Jerusalem, and then return to their home in Nazareth.

text: Spanish customs[edit]

text: Western Christianity celebrates the Magi on the day of Epiphany, January 6, the day immediately following the twelve days of Christmas, particularly in the Spanish-speaking parts of the world. In these areas, the Three Kings ("los Reyes Magos de Oriente", and "Los Tres Reyes Magos" or simply "Los Reyes Magos") receive letters from children and so bring them gifts on the night before Epiphany. In Spain, each one of the Magi is supposed to represent one different continent, Europe (Melchior), Asia (Caspar) and Africa (Balthasar). According to the tradition, the Magi come from the Orient on their camels to visit the houses of all the children, much like Sinterklaas and Santa Claus with his reindeer elsewhere, they visit everyone in one night. In some areas, children prepare a drink for each of the Magi. It is also traditional to prepare food and drink for the camels, because this is the only night of the year when they eat.

text: In Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay, there is a long tradition for having the children receive presents by the three "Reyes Magos" on the night of January 5 (Epiphany Eve) or morning of January 6. Almost every Spanish city or town organises cabalgatas in the evening, in which the kings and their servants parade and throw sweets to the children (and parents) in attendance. The cavalcade of the three kings in Alcoy claims to be the oldest in the world, having started in 1886. The Mystery Play of the Three Magic Kings is also presented on Epiphany Eve. There is also a "Roscón" (Spain) or "Rosca de Reyes" (Mexico) as explained below.

text: In the Philippines, beliefs concerning the Three Kings (Filipino: Tatlóng Haring Mago, lit. "Three Magi Kings"; shortened to Tatlóng Harì or Spanish Tres Reyes) follows Hispanic influence, with the Feast of the Epiphany considered by many Filipinos as the traditional end of their Christmas season. The tradition of the Three Kings' cabalgada is today done only in some areas, such as the old city of Intramuros in Manila, and the island of Marinduque. Another dying custom is children leaving shoes out on Epiphany Eve, so that they may receive sweets and money from the Three Kings. With the arrival of American culture in the early 20th century, the Three Kings as gift-givers have been largely replaced in urban areas by Santa Claus, and they only survive in the greeting "Happy Three Kings!" and the surname Tatlóngharì. The Three Kings are especially revered in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, where they are enshrined as patron saints in the National Shrine of Virgen La Divina Pastora.[citation needed]

text: In Paraguay, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, children cut grass or greenery on January 5 and put it in a box under their bed for the Kings' camels.  Children receive gifts on January 6, which is called Día de Reyes, and is traditionally the day in which the Magi arrived bearing gifts for the Christ child. Christmas starts in December and ends in January after Epiphany, although in Puerto Rico there are eight more days of celebration (las octavitas).

text: Campaign for a real black Balthazar in Spain[edit]

text: In 2009 a campaign started in Spain over the fact that Balthazar is commonly played by a white person in blackface.[62][63]

text: Central Europe[edit]

text: A tradition in Poland and German-speaking Catholic areas is the writing of the three kings' initials (C+M+B or C M B, or K+M+B in those areas where Caspar is spelled Kaspar) above the main door of Catholic homes in chalk. This is a new year's blessing for the occupants and the initials also are believed to also stand for "Christus mansionem benedicat" ("May/Let Christ Bless This House").[64] Depending on the city or town, this will be happen sometime between Christmas and the Epiphany, with most municipalities celebrating closer to the Epiphany. Also in Catholic parts of the German-speaking world, these markings are made by the "Sternsinger" (literally, "star singers") – a group of children dressed up as the magi.[65] The Sternsinger carry a star representing the one followed by the biblical magi and sing Christmas carols as they go door to door, such as "Stern über Bethlehem". An adult chaperones the group but stays in the background of the performance. After singing, the children write the three kings' initials on the door frame in exchange for charitable donations. Each year, German and Austrian dioceses pick one charity towards which all Sternsinger donations nationwide will be contributed.[citation needed] Traditionally, one child in the Sternsinger group is said to represent Baltasar from Africa and so, that child typically wears blackface makeup.[66][67][68] Many Germans do not consider this to be racist because it is not intended to be a negative portrayal of a black person, but rather, a "realistic" or "traditional" portrayal of one.[69] The dialogue surrounding the politics of traditions involving blackface is not as developed as in Spain or the Netherlands.[citation needed] In the past, photographs of German politicians together with children in blackface have caused a stir in English-language press.[70][71] Moreover, Afro-Germans have written that this use of blackface is a missed opportunity to be truly inclusive of Afro-Germans in German-speaking communities and contribute to the equation of "blackness" with "foreignness" and "otherness" in German culture.[72]

text: In 2010 the day of Epiphany, January 6, was made a holiday in Poland and thus a pre-war tradition was revived.[73] Since 2011, celebrations with biblical costuming have taken place throughout the country. For example, in Warsaw there are processions from Plac Zamkowy down Krakowskie Przedmieście to Plac Piłsudskiego.[74]

text: Roscón de Reyes[edit]

text: In Spain and in Portugal (where it is called Bolo-rei[75]), the cake, which is ring-shaped, is most commonly bought, not baked, and it contains both a small figurine of one of the Magi (or another surprise depending on the region) and an actual dry broad bean. The one who gets the figurine is "crowned" (with a crown made of cardboard or paper), but whoever gets the bean has to pay the value of the cake to the person who originally bought it. In Mexico they also have the same ring-shaped cake Rosca de Reyes (Kings Bagel or Thread) with figurines inside it. Whoever gets a figurine is supposed to organize and be the host of the family celebration for the Candelaria feast on February 2.

text: In France and Belgium, a cake containing a small figure of the baby Jesus, known as the "broad bean", is shared within the family. Whoever gets the bean is crowned king for the remainder of the holiday and wears a cardboard crown purchased with the cake. A similar practice is common in many areas of Switzerland, but the figurine is a miniature king. The practice is known as tirer les Rois (Drawing the Kings).  A queen is sometimes also chosen.

text: In New Orleans, Louisiana, parts of southern Texas, and surrounding regions, a similar ring-shaped cake known as a "King Cake" traditionally becomes available in bakeries from Epiphany to Mardi Gras. The baby Jesus figurine is inserted into the cake from underneath, and the person who gets the slice with the figurine is expected to buy or bake the next King Cake. There is wide variation among the types of pastry that may be called a King Cake, but most are a baked cinnamon-flavoured twisted dough with thin frosting and additional sugar on top in the traditional Mardi Gras colours of gold, green and purple. To prevent accidental injury or choking, the baby Jesus figurine is frequently not inserted into the cake at the bakery, but included in the packaging for optional use by the buyer to insert it themselves. Mardi Gras-style beads and doubloons may be included as well.

text: In art[edit]

text: The Magi most frequently appear in European art in the Adoration of the Magi; less often in the Journey of the Magi has been a popular subject in art, and topos, and other scenes such as the Magi before Herod and the Dream of the Magi also appear in the Middle Ages. In Byzantine art they are depicted as Persians, wearing trousers and phrygian caps. Crowns appear from the 10th century. Despite being saints, they are very often shown without halos, perhaps to avoid distracting attention from either their crowns or the halos of the Holy Family. Sometimes only the lead king, kneeling to Christ, has a halo the two others lack, probably indicating that the two behind had not yet performed the act of worship that would ensure their status as saints. Medieval artists also allegorised the theme to represent the three ages of man. Beginning in the 12th century, and very often by the 15th, the Kings also represent the three parts of the known (pre-Columbian) world in Western art, especially in Northern Europe. Balthasar is thus represented as a young African or Moor and Caspar may be depicted with distinctly Oriental features.

text: An early Anglo-Saxon depiction survives on the Franks Casket (early 7th century, whalebone carving), the only Christian scene, which is combined with pagan and classical imagery. In its composition it follows the oriental style, which renders a courtly scene, with the Virgin and Christ facing the spectator, while the Magi devoutly approach from the (left) side. Even amongst non-Christians who had heard of the Christian story of the Magi, the motif was quite popular, since the Magi had endured a long journey and were generous. Instead of an angel, the picture places a swan-like bird, perhaps interpretable as the hero's fylgja (a protecting spirit, and shapeshifter).

text: Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein depicted a more controversial tableau in his painting, Epiphany I: Adoration of the Magi (1996). Intended to represent the "many connections between the Third Reich and the Christian churches in Austria and Germany",[76] Nazi officers in uniform stand around an Aryan Madonna. The Christ toddler who stands on Mary's lap resembles Adolf Hitler.[77]

text: More generally they appear in popular Nativity scenes and other Christmas decorations that have their origins in the Neapolitan variety of the Italian presepio or Nativity crèche.