New Zealand is no stranger accommodating works of fiction. The hobbit holes constructed for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy remain intact and the area has turned into a tourist destination. However, this latest effort might have some scratching their heads. The New Zealand government has granted permission for Pastafarians to conduct marriage ceremonies.

This organization believes the world was created by a flying spaghetti and meatballs-based being. Its website admits that some follows believe it to be a satirical organization. According to the BBC, the official notice was published online in New Zealand's government gazette.

Registrar-general Jeff Montgomery maintains that he came to this decision based on whether or not the organization upholds religious beliefs, or philosophical or humanitarian convictions. "No judgment is made on the validity of those beliefs or convictions," he told Stuff.co.nz.

The church's Top Ramen, or lead official who prefers to remain anonymous, told Radio New Zealand that the next step is to nominate someone for approval to hold the ceremonies. "We are a bona fide church, and our people do like to get married, some of them several times," she said, noting that Pastafarian wedding attire can range from pirate outfits to the traditional colander headdress. "We can wear the pirate gear, we can wear the pasta gear, we're quite flexible."