From Ambassador (Thoughts on "Chritsmas" here in Samoa)
2024/12/27
I've been in Samoa for over a week now, and I just spent my first Christmas here in Samoa.
Celebrating Christmas with the family is a common way to spend Christmas everywhere. However, I'm currently working away from home, leaving my wife and two sons in Tokyo. Away from my family, I spent Christmas Eve on the 24th and Christmas on the 25th mostly at the hotel where I'm staying. I'm now writing this article on Boxing Day, the 26th.
Most people in Samoa are Christians. There are many Christian churches in Apia, such as the grand Immaculate Conception Cathedral downtown, which is Catholic, as well various protestant churches. Christmas is, of course, an important event for all Christians. On the 25th, the head of state even issues a Christmas message. I also attended a mass at the cathedral on the morning of the 25th, in honor of the local customs and traditions.
At Christmas, Santa Claus visits all over the world with presents, and of course he comes to Samoa too.
However, the way he appears varies from place to place.
In the Northern Hemisphere, including Japan, Santa Claus arrives on a sleigh led by a reindeer named Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Whether or not such a sleigh can fly in the air is not the point here. It certainly gives the impression of a snowy world.
In the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas is a "winter" event, and in some places people have a "white Christmas" in the snow, but here in the Southern Hemisphere, it is "summer" in terms of the season. (Note: However, if you think of it as perpetual summer here, there are only rainy and dry seasons, and now is the "rainy season.") It is unthinkable that it would snow on Christmas day.
Many people here may have heard of a reindeer, but probably have never seen one.
So here, Santa Claus appears on a boat coming from the sea!
Well, this may be a special production that can only be done at a resort hotel with a private beach.
However, for the people of this country, whose ancestors once arrived on this island by boats and have since traveled between islands by boats across the vast South Pacific, it seems only natural that Santa Claus, an emissary from another world bringing gifts, would arrive by a boat.
(Note: I apologize for bringing up a story from my previous post in Iceland, but in Iceland, there are 13 "Jólasveinar" who are the rough equivalent of Santa Claus, and it is believed that each one comes down from the mountain in turn, on foot. They are essentially troublesome characters who play pranks and cause trouble, but recently they have taken inspiration from the white-bearded Mr. Santa Claus and bring small presents such as sweets to well behaved kids.)
Celebrating Christmas with the family is a common way to spend Christmas everywhere. However, I'm currently working away from home, leaving my wife and two sons in Tokyo. Away from my family, I spent Christmas Eve on the 24th and Christmas on the 25th mostly at the hotel where I'm staying. I'm now writing this article on Boxing Day, the 26th.
Most people in Samoa are Christians. There are many Christian churches in Apia, such as the grand Immaculate Conception Cathedral downtown, which is Catholic, as well various protestant churches. Christmas is, of course, an important event for all Christians. On the 25th, the head of state even issues a Christmas message. I also attended a mass at the cathedral on the morning of the 25th, in honor of the local customs and traditions.
At Christmas, Santa Claus visits all over the world with presents, and of course he comes to Samoa too.
However, the way he appears varies from place to place.
In the Northern Hemisphere, including Japan, Santa Claus arrives on a sleigh led by a reindeer named Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Whether or not such a sleigh can fly in the air is not the point here. It certainly gives the impression of a snowy world.
In the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas is a "winter" event, and in some places people have a "white Christmas" in the snow, but here in the Southern Hemisphere, it is "summer" in terms of the season. (Note: However, if you think of it as perpetual summer here, there are only rainy and dry seasons, and now is the "rainy season.") It is unthinkable that it would snow on Christmas day.
Many people here may have heard of a reindeer, but probably have never seen one.
So here, Santa Claus appears on a boat coming from the sea!
Well, this may be a special production that can only be done at a resort hotel with a private beach.
However, for the people of this country, whose ancestors once arrived on this island by boats and have since traveled between islands by boats across the vast South Pacific, it seems only natural that Santa Claus, an emissary from another world bringing gifts, would arrive by a boat.
(Note: I apologize for bringing up a story from my previous post in Iceland, but in Iceland, there are 13 "Jólasveinar" who are the rough equivalent of Santa Claus, and it is believed that each one comes down from the mountain in turn, on foot. They are essentially troublesome characters who play pranks and cause trouble, but recently they have taken inspiration from the white-bearded Mr. Santa Claus and bring small presents such as sweets to well behaved kids.)