Christmas in Kosrae
I’ve spent Christmas in some wonderful and memorable places like Brooklyn, Bethlehem, Barcelona, and Bondi Beach Australia. I’ve been told that The Vatican in Rome, Santa Claus Village in Finland and Dublin, Ireland are also exciting Christmas destinations. This year, I think the best place in the world to spend Christmas was Kosrae. This humble little island — with only 6000 residents — pulls out all the stops for Christmas. You might want to put Kosrae on your travel list for December 25, 2021.
In 1852, American missionaries brought new music and a new religion to Korsae. Over time, a vibrant blend of island culture and Christianity has evolved that’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen or heard.
Christmas in Kosrae lasts for a week. Each of the five villages holds an all-day festival of marching while singing carols. On Christmas Day, everyone in Kosrae gathers at one church to sing and march together. In normal years, friends and families from Guam, Hawaii and mainland US fly in for this event. This year, only a few dozen Kosraeans who were hardy enough to stomach the 3-day sail from Pohnpei were able to attend.
In all, I counted 12 main choirs with about 250 adults per choir. Every village also has children’s choirs, youth choirs and senior choirs. Thus, more than half of Kosrae’s population sings carols and marches at Christmastime. The only people who don’t sing or march are folks too young or too old to walk, plus a few spectators like me. If I’m still here next Christmas, I’ve been invited to join at least two of the choirs.
Kosrae’s Christmas carols are sung entirely a capella — without even a pitch pipe to get started. The songs are a blend of 19th century gospel with traditional island harmonies and rhythms. If you listen closely, you’ll hear English phrases like King of Kings, Alpha and Omega, Emanuel, Glory Glory and Hosanna. My friends translated the Kosrean lyrics for me which include frequent repetitions of The Lord most high, Raise our voices in joyful songs, Our Savior and Redeemer, Ring the bells, Bring gifts and glad tidings, Give thanks unto Him and The Messiah has come.
To show you what Micronesian Gospel singing is like, I’ve uploaded three videos. The first two are about 4 minutes long. The third lasts 20 minutes. Together, these are a synthesis of a week’s worth of fabulous music. I hope you enjoy them all. Feel free to share them with friends and family. The first video ends with Jingle Bells sung in Kosraean. The second video shows how much fun grandmothers can have in church. During and at the end of each performance, the choirs throw Christmas presents to/at the congregation. The kids love jumping and grabbing for treats. No surprise there. I ended up with a new shirt, kitchen utensils and a box of macadamia nuts. Nice!
This year, the main event happened in Lelu. The twelve biggest choirs came together to perform. They sang and marched from breakfast until dinner time. Naturally, there was lots food outside to sustain the hungry performers and congregation.
In past years, Kosrae’s Christmas festival attracted a few hundred international visitors. This year, because of the pandemic, Kosrae had only one international visitor: Yours truly. Consequently, I was treated to full VIP treatment, seated front and center next to the Honorable Yosiwo Palikkun George, Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia. Mr. George was born in Kosrae but now lives in Micronesia’s capital 350 miles away. Mr. George and his wife told me of their rough 3-day cruise to Kosrae.
One of the things that makes Kosrae’s Christmas festival special is that it only happens in Kosrae. The other 606 islands of Micronesia have nothing equivalent. This is why Kosraeans who live elsewhere fly home to Kosrae for Christmas, if they can. In my last travelogue, I mentioned that there was a flight planned and quarantine facilities arranged for a few dozen Kosraeans to return home in time for Christmas. At the last minute, this flight was cancelled. Micronesia’s government has decided to extend our 100% travel ban through February … or until we begin to receive the Moderna vaccine.
With its firm stand on no international inbound travel, Micronesia is still 100% virus free. No one wears masks. We don’t need to socially distance ourselves. We can have Christmas gatherings as we always have. The photos below are of my students, co-workers, friends and their children. Although I’m far from family, I feel incredibly blessed and lucky to be able to celebrate with such wonderful people at this time of year.
P.S. It’s now the start of the rainy season in Kosrae, one of the rainiest places on Earth. Rain falls an average of 233 days per year and collects up to 3180mm (125″) of precipitation. Here’s the view outside my window right now as I post this blog. Click the audio link below to hear the deafening roar of a heavy tropical rainstorm. Although it rains every day now, it doesn’t rain all day. May there be lots of sunshine in your 2021!
Always fun to get your reports and envy your life in this alternative universe of Kosrae…There’s no way I can begin to imagine the all consuming Christmas you experienced, again envious.
Good to hear all is well. Winter life begins on the Lake.
Stay well, Happy and blessed New year!
This post made me happy. It sounds like their version of Carnival.
Another wonderful, colorful report of life from your serendipitous stay in Kosrae, Nick. Thanks for sharing.
A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, Nick. Your wonderful festival, without Covid 19 sounds lovely.
Keep up the good work, and hope to hear from you soon.
Kevin O’Keefe
Thanks for including me in your posts. Hopefully this year will end better than last. Be safe. David
Thanks for sharing this great array of singing, and dedication to community and to costuming. I am reminded of the great travel, preparation, and costuming which the local and surrounding islanders near the Grenadine Islands brought to the annual carnival parades there. You may recall I exited quickly upon our return to port to go witness some of those proceedings. Great to see similar community spirit here too. All is well here. Glad you are doing well.
This made me smile, what beautiful voices. Thanks for sharing.
What an amazing celebration – thanks for sharing! Hopefully the sun will come out soon. In Nashville, the sun comes and goes a bit until the end of February as always. I left the website address from my work to share ongoing work with the hospital here. Hard to imagine that in 2020 the Foundation has sent out more than 200,000 nutritious meals to those with food insecurity – so light years perhaps from your daily life.
best of 2021!
Hi Nick,
That was one of the most beautiful newsletters—ever. Going through it from the top, I have to ask, “That’s just the ‘B’s?” Brooklyn? (But you didn’t mention Christmas in Ban Pao in 2015.) I’d love to hear more about the ‘sail’ from Pohnpei. Was your buddy the president, on the same voyage? I calculate that’s about 350 miles. I thought there was about a half-dozen other outsiders. Did the others leave you all alone—with all your new friends? And your photos. The were all exceptional, but the individual portraits were priceless! Did I detect on lady tearing up when you took her picture? The rain reminds me of Meghalaya. Do you have a tin roof? (Which also reminds me, do they chew betel?) Sorry for all the questions. Enjoy your macadamia nuts. All the best, and don’t forget your have a (small) room here in sunny Portugal.
Marvin & Trish
Brooklyn made the list of My Most Memorable Christmases because that’s where my grandparents lived when I was a child. My grandmother took me to FAO Schwartz in Manhattan. A 5-year-old doesn’t forget an experience like that! With no inter-island flights, Micronesia’s Vice President and his wife sailed 350 miles in rough seas from the capital in Pohnpei to Kosrae’s Christmas celebration. I think I’m the only non-resident left on Kosrae. The others have all left. I enjoyed sharing photos of all my friends, students and co-workers. At the Christmas celebration, there were a few tears because it was so moving. Meghalaya averages 1,150 cm of rain per year. Kosrae gets “only” 318 cm. Belel is chewed by about 20% of Kosraeans.
Once again I had starred your newsletter to savor each word at leisure later in the day. Since your blogs have provided such wonderful armchair travel adventure during these past 10 months with my only out of town trip being last summer for a few days to our mutually beloved Michigan as well as a hiking day trip to up at Sewanee. Even though I’m sorry I didn’t read the enchanting description of Christmastime in Kosrae back in December, it actually turned out to be perfect timing since today in Nashville is cold and gray and what sheer delight to relive the the beauty of the season as celebrated so uniquely and wholeheartedly there in charming Kosrae, a world apart! My belated but grateful thanks to you Nick for sharing a fascinating look into the traditions, beautiful faces, songs and sound of the rainfall that make up such a wondrous place!
P.S. I hadn’t heard the word “betel nut” since years ago when watching one of my favorite old musicals “South Pacific” as the sailors on the beach sing fondly about “Bloody Mary” and her love for that particular areca nut! 😉
Thank you Dr. Zoa! I’m glad Kosrae made your list.
“Kuloh na ma luhlahp” my friend Dr. Zoa and kudos to the inception of this medium! Keep it coming! My heartfelt appreciation for making Kosrae your beat in this medium. I came to realize that your presence here is no contingency but an adventurous feat to be cherished, especially by the indigenous Kosraeans, for a long time! Again, nice having you in the local pedagogical profession and can’t wait to have you on board at the local college the day after we bid farewell to the pandemic!