Happy (belated) Holidays everyone! December passed by in a blur, and I now find myself writing this post at the two month marker for my ten month Fulbright in Samoa.
While it is never easy to be away from home at Christmas, I was lucky to be with a large group of other “Christmas orphans” who helped make this an unforgettable island Christmas.
In Samoa, the holiday season kicks off even earlier than in US department stores; Christmas carols have been jingling in stores, taxis, and buses since I arrived in early November. Christmas trees, garlands, and lights have also been gradually popping up around Apia, with the largest and most spectacular decorations making their appearance the week before Christmas. My favorite decoration would have to be a Samoan style Christmas tree, which is beautifully fashioned out of palm fronds.
While it is never easy to be away from home at Christmas, I was lucky to be with a large group of other “Christmas orphans” who helped make this an unforgettable island Christmas.
In Samoa, the holiday season kicks off even earlier than in US department stores; Christmas carols have been jingling in stores, taxis, and buses since I arrived in early November. Christmas trees, garlands, and lights have also been gradually popping up around Apia, with the largest and most spectacular decorations making their appearance the week before Christmas. My favorite decoration would have to be a Samoan style Christmas tree, which is beautifully fashioned out of palm fronds.
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| Samoan palm frond Christmas trees are usually also decorated with ornaments and flowers. Source: http://johnandkarenkrogh.blogspot.com |
Along with final Christmas decorations, the week before Christmas also brought the hustle and bustle of last minute Christmas shopping. In the final days before Christmas, the amount of people in one of the main shopping plazas downtown quadrupled, and I had to sit through traffic jams for the first time on my commutes home.
My team had a Christmas celebration and gift exchange to finish off work on Christmas Eve. My boss asked if I had any Christmas music, so I brought over different renditions of classic Christmas carols, including Michael Bublé’s recent Christmas album. While Michael was crooning in the background, one of my colleagues joked about how “old” the music sounded without the steady beat that booms in the back of most Samoan remixed carols. That joke really brought home for me how subjective musical preferences truly are. While I feel like I’m traveling back in time by a few decades whenever I listen to Samoan radio tunes, my Samoan colleague gets the same impression when listening to what I would consider to be “timeless” classics.
Christmas itself gave me a window into some Australian Christmas traditions. I and the other Fulbrighter in Samoa were able to celebrate with a group of Australian volunteers who were also still on the island for Christmas. We all gathered together on Christmas eve for a potluck style Christmas feast where every one brought their favorite holiday dishes, which included a delicious Australian barbecue and some of the best roast beef I’ve had in a very long time. I made my mom’s family fudge and Christmas cookie recipes, and I managed to rope my friends into helping decorate the cookies. The fudge was a hit, and the decorated cookies had a definite dose of Samoan flair.
Christmas itself gave me a window into some Australian Christmas traditions. I and the other Fulbrighter in Samoa were able to celebrate with a group of Australian volunteers who were also still on the island for Christmas. We all gathered together on Christmas eve for a potluck style Christmas feast where every one brought their favorite holiday dishes, which included a delicious Australian barbecue and some of the best roast beef I’ve had in a very long time. I made my mom’s family fudge and Christmas cookie recipes, and I managed to rope my friends into helping decorate the cookies. The fudge was a hit, and the decorated cookies had a definite dose of Samoan flair.
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| This year's Christmas cookies were dressed up for some island weather. |
Christmas morning started with everyone opening their Secret Santa presents before enjoying a tasty, American style breakfast casserole. Christmas then also included seasonal movies, a second round of pot luck feasting, and lots and lots of games. A better part of Christmas day and evening was spent in heated rounds of Resistance (a more intense version of Mafia) and in hilarious sessions of Taboo. We took a break from the games late afternoon to take a swim and enjoy the view from an amazing home up on the hill.
In both Australia and Samoa, Christmas festivities continue on to Boxing Day. Samoans typically go on an outing with family and friends, and Australians also have the option of checking out sales on par with Black Friday. The Christmas orphans continued to celebrate by taking a swim by a beautiful waterfall and enjoying an amazing dinner at one of my favorite Indian restaurants. (Really, it is one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve ever been to. How lucky that Apia has a really good restaurant for one of my favorite types of cuisine!)
All in all, it was a great Christmas break, and I am now ready to take on 2015! I hope you all also had a wonderful holiday season.
In both Australia and Samoa, Christmas festivities continue on to Boxing Day. Samoans typically go on an outing with family and friends, and Australians also have the option of checking out sales on par with Black Friday. The Christmas orphans continued to celebrate by taking a swim by a beautiful waterfall and enjoying an amazing dinner at one of my favorite Indian restaurants. (Really, it is one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve ever been to. How lucky that Apia has a really good restaurant for one of my favorite types of cuisine!)
All in all, it was a great Christmas break, and I am now ready to take on 2015! I hope you all also had a wonderful holiday season.
To finish off, here is a new Samoan phrase that keeps with our festive theme:
Manuia le Kerisimasi ma le Tausaga fou! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!)
Those cookies are adorbs. We forgot to tell you that both Anwesa and I made butterscotch haystacks for recent parties (independently). Your family's kitchen continues to influence palates all over!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I love butterscotch haystacks. Now I must find a way to track down some butterscotch and eat them as well!
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