What is Christmas in Vanuatu?
This year is the first Christmas that I will be spending on my island. My first year in Vanuatu, I went with two fellow volunteers up to the island of Espiritu Santo to celebrate with volunteers on that island. Last year, a few days before my trip to the least visited countries in the world, I spent a night in Port Vila with my friends Frances and Taylor, who are both vegans, and we made a homemade curry lentil shepherds pie with sweet potatoes.
But this year, my final Christmas in Vanuatu, I'll be spending it here on the island. My friend (and fellow PCV) Gena will be coming to spend a couple days here with me.
When spending Christmas away from the Western world, it's easy to not get homesick: the things we Americans are trained to be a part of "Christmas time" are no longer a part of it. It feels so different, that it doesn't feel like Christmas in the traditional sense. So, what is Christmas in Vanuatu?
Christmas time is not snowflakes. It is not sweater weather and scarf weather. It's not shoveling, or sprinkling salt on the driveway. It's not road closures. It's not twinkly lights at homes, at stores, everywhere you go. It's not Black Friday, or commercials announcing holiday sales.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is school break, the time between two school years. Students will spel (rest) for all of December and January, returning to class in February.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is when all the community programming and work ends. It's a time when the mama's group completes its weekly meetings or events, and the community does the same. It's a time when everyone rests.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is making s'mores with your friend Miriam and her children on the beach while looking at the stars, because tomorrow there's no school. It's also your drunk host brother stumbling up, asking to use an ember from the fire to light a cigarette.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is quiet, because once December hits, many children leave for Vila, other islands, or nearby villages to spend the holidays with family.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is card gambling time. It's a time when all the mamas and the children gather in circles on mats throughout the village, playing Seven Lock for a few vatu.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is my host mama gifting me a handmade woven basket.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is making "secret friends" (like secret Santa) with the teaching staff. I gave Ms. Esther some nail polish and a mini backpack. Ms. Daniel had me, and gives me a handmade basket with my name and my village name (Leimara) woven into the sides.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is sweating profusely in the humid, 85*F heat, that only cools down at night. It's sweating in bed naked.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is hanging out with village friends near the beach, where there is wind, repeating "ples i hot tumas."
Christmas time in Vanuatu is spraying bug spray all over your body every two hours, and swatting mosquitoes away because bug spray only makes them hover three inches away from your ears.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is hearing the first Christmas song in the village played by your neighbor on December 20th.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is explaining what an advent calendar is, and making one for your host family. It's watching your 14- and 8-year old host sister and brother open up candies, erasers, jingle bells, and balloons from the advent calendar you made out of the mountain of medicine bottles that Peace Corps gives you.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is going to the church at night to watch the children and youth sing and perform choreographed dances to church songs.
Christmas day in Vanuatu is attending church and eating laplap for lunch, like we do here on Sundays.
Christmas day in Vanuatu is BBQing on the beach, and swimming in the ocean.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is mango and pineapple season.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is making loads of homemade holiday cookies for your neighbors and village friends, who before have only tasted chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter cookies in a store-bought package.
Christmas in Vanuatu is making gingerbread houses with a fellow PCV and village friends.
Christmas in Vanuatu is getting invited to your friend Rena's house, where you're invited to have lunch after church, and where she's decorated a Christmas tree with candy and chips for the kids to untie. It is putting movies on a flash drive for their family, and everyone gathering around to watch A Little Princess on their new big screen solar TV.
But this year, my final Christmas in Vanuatu, I'll be spending it here on the island. My friend (and fellow PCV) Gena will be coming to spend a couple days here with me.
When spending Christmas away from the Western world, it's easy to not get homesick: the things we Americans are trained to be a part of "Christmas time" are no longer a part of it. It feels so different, that it doesn't feel like Christmas in the traditional sense. So, what is Christmas in Vanuatu?
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| Mariana, Aisel, Shina, Nancy and Esther with their gingerbread creations. |
Christmas time is not snowflakes. It is not sweater weather and scarf weather. It's not shoveling, or sprinkling salt on the driveway. It's not road closures. It's not twinkly lights at homes, at stores, everywhere you go. It's not Black Friday, or commercials announcing holiday sales.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is school break, the time between two school years. Students will spel (rest) for all of December and January, returning to class in February.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is when all the community programming and work ends. It's a time when the mama's group completes its weekly meetings or events, and the community does the same. It's a time when everyone rests.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is making s'mores with your friend Miriam and her children on the beach while looking at the stars, because tomorrow there's no school. It's also your drunk host brother stumbling up, asking to use an ember from the fire to light a cigarette.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is quiet, because once December hits, many children leave for Vila, other islands, or nearby villages to spend the holidays with family.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is card gambling time. It's a time when all the mamas and the children gather in circles on mats throughout the village, playing Seven Lock for a few vatu.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is my host mama gifting me a handmade woven basket.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is making "secret friends" (like secret Santa) with the teaching staff. I gave Ms. Esther some nail polish and a mini backpack. Ms. Daniel had me, and gives me a handmade basket with my name and my village name (Leimara) woven into the sides.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is sweating profusely in the humid, 85*F heat, that only cools down at night. It's sweating in bed naked.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is hanging out with village friends near the beach, where there is wind, repeating "ples i hot tumas."
Christmas time in Vanuatu is spraying bug spray all over your body every two hours, and swatting mosquitoes away because bug spray only makes them hover three inches away from your ears.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is hearing the first Christmas song in the village played by your neighbor on December 20th.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is explaining what an advent calendar is, and making one for your host family. It's watching your 14- and 8-year old host sister and brother open up candies, erasers, jingle bells, and balloons from the advent calendar you made out of the mountain of medicine bottles that Peace Corps gives you.
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| Alice and Tari open the first six days of the advent calendar. |
Christmas time in Vanuatu is going to the church at night to watch the children and youth sing and perform choreographed dances to church songs.
Christmas day in Vanuatu is attending church and eating laplap for lunch, like we do here on Sundays.
Christmas day in Vanuatu is BBQing on the beach, and swimming in the ocean.
Christmas time in Vanuatu is mango and pineapple season.
 |
| Leikas and her family decorated a Christmas shelter with pineapples to dine in during the holidays. |
Christmas time in Vanuatu is making loads of homemade holiday cookies for your neighbors and village friends, who before have only tasted chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter cookies in a store-bought package.
 |
| Cookie box! |
Christmas in Vanuatu is making gingerbread houses with a fellow PCV and village friends.
 |
| Gena and I make gingerbread houses |
 |
| Mariana, Aisel, Shina and I with our gingerbread houses. |
Christmas in Vanuatu is getting invited to your friend Rena's house, where you're invited to have lunch after church, and where she's decorated a Christmas tree with candy and chips for the kids to untie. It is putting movies on a flash drive for their family, and everyone gathering around to watch A Little Princess on their new big screen solar TV.
 |
| Christmas lunch at Rena's! |
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| Rena admires her family's Christmas tree. |
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