Hello!!
How did you spend Christmas?
What are you doing in December ??
Are you busy for a new year holiday than Christmas ??
Tongan people don’t work much in December.
Maybe there are a lot of difference how we spend in December every countries!!

In my work place, ministry of agriculture , staffs has gone to holiday day by day from before December and we had already finished our Christmas party on 6th of December.
Now under 10 staffs out of 18 are in our office.

Tonga is one of strict Christian country.
So, Christmas is very important to go to their church with family for them.
We don’y know ‘where’ or “ which family’ because there are many people who have their family in Australia or New Zealand , there are many people who have 5-8 siblings .
Only it”s sure spending with family.

Paster started to talk about Christmas in a church from beginning of December .
School children get a holiday from a first week of December.

People who live in capital ,Tongatapu , or work in Australia or New Zealand come back to own islands ,so islands has full of people in December.
Actually, although there is hardly people at a vegetables market on weekday before December,there are many people to sell used clothes or daily product every day in December.

Moreover, many sports festival has held.
Rugby, netball, volleyball,,, they were exiting with same uniform .
Women in Tonga don’t wear any pants or spats like not show leg line on formal place ,so normally they wear a long skirt. However they were wearing very short skirt at that moment !!

At first,,I was very surprised with their transformation because they don’t move saying ‘vela, ahu(hot)’ and ask “Bring a bottle of water,Please.’ ‘Pass my phone, please.’ .

Of course , I scammed out to the sea by myself that ‘ Why don’t you move often like now, if you can ?? Rate of obesity is over 70% in Tonga!! ‘

It’s a bit similar with a Japanese summer holiday ,,,or not…
Well, even if it’s summer on December in Japan, it might not be like here.
Because Many workers don’t come to work using paid holiday finished end of year.
Tongan adult people spend own pace at home .

I wonder the important Christmas will be how !?
They say that it is like every Sunday , but they pray longer.
After the pray, a party will be coming with a lot of special food!!

Not a lot of Japanese are Christian , so our feeling is like not ‘celebrate Christmas’ ,just enjoy. We are more busy about a new year holiday.

I think it is one character of Japanese that we work a lot to reach each goal at end of year. We value the end and make our best until the end.
Then, ‘Writing new year’s cards’ ‘Pounding mochi’ ‘ Making Shimenawa’ ‘ Cooking Osechi’ ‘ Eating Japanese Soba’ and ‘Ringing nightlight bell’ . We enjoy many days with those things.
Just one second, it bring a new year. We exchange greeting for the new year ,pray at a shrine . We celebrate a new year with ‘Soup with Mochi and Osechi’.
Many people spend a new year holiday with family like Tongan Christmas holiday.

All of our attitude are depend on what we believe ,,, I always feel in a Sunday church.
Japanese tend to think God is at everywhere ,,,well I think like that.

“ Praying at a church every Sunday” ( It’s Tongan custom.) is not a big deal than The sun rise , rain, the sea is calm, the stars blinks 、、、
Not only nature but also my laptop using now, the food I ate today, my lovely dog ‘ KAIDO’ starting to live suddenly, of course, for myself and my destiny ,,,,

Everything is holding a god , gods are cheering us.
I’m grateful of it ( it’s a not Tongan thinking ).

I can’t feel this is December with very hot Sun, but doesn’t mother about it.
I enjoy Tongan Christmas mood and I thanks for my being here in Tonga now.

How are you spending December ??

Author ; Miki Kato