New Year Celebrations

Friday, Januaray 1, 2010

As we were putting kids in be last night, Janet, the chief's wife, brought about 60 small fish in an overflowing bucket. Chief Leonard had rented a big net and caught enough fish for the whole village to share. Janet told me to motu them for the family breakfast on New Year's Day. I didn't have my motu going like everybody else, so I asked if it would be okay if I just boiled them in coconut milk, and she said it would be fine. So, Aaron and I stayed up late gutting fish and cutting up panna (another root crop) to cook early this morning.

At midnight, we heard lots of pots and pans banging and bells ringing. The young children walked around banging and yelling, too. They especially loved the bell by the church! After a while, Aaron went out to sit by the bell and wish everyone a "Happy New Year". We think he scared off the kids because the bell quit ringing.

Chief Leonard

This morning after church, we enjoyed the "family breakfast". Each family was assigned to eat with two other families. Since it was still raining, the chief's family and Naris's family came up on our porch to enjoy a late morning meal. They both brought turtle. Janet cooked hers with hot stones (motu) and Naris cooked hers with curry and onions - delicious!

The rain continued throughout the day, so the games and festivities were postponed, but each night for the next week groups of people will walk around the village and sing. As they come by each house, you are supposed to spray perfume on each person. The groups of kids love to come by our house and get doused with my perfume.

Sunday, January 3

Today after church, the New Year's festivities continued. When the bell rang, each of the three groups in the village (we're in group 2) gathered on the beach to "singroll". Everybody glittered their faces and brought noisemakers (Sarah used a pot and a wooden spoon).

Me and my glitter

Aaron helping the men to beat the boys in tug-of-war

Sarah in a losing battle against the boys

I was reminded of the "Battle of the Bands" as each group marched around the village singing at the top of their lungs. When we passed another group, the cacaphony reminded me of a Charles Ives compostion. It was a blast!

"singroll" while blowing in a shell

Harris and Sarah conspiring

After the singing, the games began in earnest: tug of war, sack races, splashing each other with water, smearing ashes on each other's faces, and throwing people into the ocean.

Sarah celebrating the New Year by squirting her mom

Then the Bikoi showed up, so Sarah and Joy went out in a canoe with Harris, Pogo, Juline, and Melissa to sing to the Bikoi and wish everyone a Happy New Year. As they approached the shore, Melissa announced that she would capsize the canoe and over they went!