Our big meal of the season occurred on Christmas Eve. Several friends got together to enjoy beef wellington and all the fixings. Being away from family is especially hard during the holidays but being able to share special meals like this one really helps. After dinner, Aaron and I put the boys to bed, then spent the evening wrapping presents. We have had our Christmas presents here on island since the end of October and beginning of November as the mail is so unpredictable but things got hidden away and time just ran away from us. Before we knew it we had presents to wrap at the last minute. I am hoping we will be better prepared next year in this regard!
Christmas morning we opened gifts and spent time together as a family. We had a nice little lunch then caught the ferry over to Ebeye (our nearest populated Marshallese island). Christmas day is one of the big Marshallese holidays. There are activities going on at the churches (around 6 of them on island) from morning until sundown. The churches get very excited to see Americans visiting their churches. We were treated like royalty at each church..sometimes uncomfortably so! Children and Marshallese adults alike were told to give up their seats for us usually in the front rows. And we were given gifts such as shell necklaces and handmade fans (for the churches that were not air conditioned). All of this was a special treat but at each place we would have been happy to sit on the floor and enjoy the festivities. The Marshallese would have none of that however!
In the photo below we are walking down the street. Some streets are pretty clean and the houses although made of plywood, or metal, look to be in pretty good form and condition. Other streets look pretty rough with houses being made from scrap wood or even cardboard. Most houses do not have running water or electricity. But even those who do have water or electricity it is very primitive. The plumbing is usually a hose being ran into the house from a holding tank outside and live wires with electricity run throughout the house without any grounding.
The first church we went to was a small little church. We were all packed in watching the children perform a traditional Marshallese dance. The whistle is a key part of the dance, informing the dancers when to start, stop, or change the moves they are performing. Here is a video of the dance:
The 2nd Church we went to is also a private school. For elementary school, the cost is $40 per month. Most Marshallese on Ebeye cannot afford this.
Here is a couple videos from this church. They spoke in Marshallese during the program but the kids sang in English for every song.
The 3rd church was enclosed but still had windows and doors open to the outside. So it was very hot inside! Here they not only gifted us with necklaces but with fans as well. This was the E.U.C.C (I cannot remember exactly what it stood for but it was something like Ebeye Universal Church of Christ...or Christian Church).
Videos from the church: You will see in some of the videos the performers throw out candy or money to the kids. The kids would swarm when this would happen!
Traditional Marshallese A'Capella song:
Part of a Traditional Marshallese song:
Traditional Marshallese song and dance (with whistle):
Kommol tata (thank you in Marshallese) to the churches and Marshallese who were so kind to us on Christmas day!
