What to do at Vanuatu

Vanuatu Christmas | Oxfam NZ

It is an interesting months in Vanuatu and it is the season of the year when many travel throughout the Christmas break. For me, Christmas has always been and still is a holiday. I' m doing two types of groceries until this particular date.

For me, Christmas really begins on the evening of December 24 at about 7 pm. On Christmas Day in the mornings, as my mum, I present my kids with their new outfits. It is sprinkled with a wide range of cookies, bread of all forms and dimensions and hot tapas, which we usually call teas, are blended with milos, milks or citronella.

When I see the look on my children's faces, when I receive and explore their Christmas presents, it is one of my joyous times. Vanuatu is a place where teams of family members come together to cook dinner. The two most important dishes normally cooked are chaplap or bounia. It is made of rubbed tapioca, maniac, manioc, camioc, tartar, yam root or bana, which are placed around a specific laplp sheet (which looks like bankana leaf) and then usually covered with islan cauliflower, coir and a favourite slice of beef.

Another of Bunia's dishes is a traditionally prepared with sliced slices of chunks of cassava, tapioca, tovo, yams or bananas. At Christmas, woman plays a very important part. It' a traditon that spreads all over Vanuatu and is still accepted by many. Mostly men cook specific meats for the whole household and educate the kids about the importance of Christmas.

Guys make the hard parts of the party, chop wood, excavate the holes for the bounty or chaplap, rub the coconuts for the ladies and gals in the chaplap or bounty and also adorn the edifice where the party takes place. Boo-hooVana! A Bible trivia is another activities that can take place on Christmas Day. Here dads, moms, guys and gals take turns asking Bible triviaques.

Lots of homes see this one as a time of spirituality and are celebrating it in the holiest way so that coming generation can truly appreciate the importance of Christmas. Greetings to Christmas Rani vorana in my own tongue, the northern tongue of Ambae Island, where my whole familiy comes from!

I wish you all a Happy Christmas with this news!