Christmas in Vanuatu

Vanuatu is a popular holiday destination year round, however it's particularly popular over the Christmas break when the school and working year is over and everyone has a chance to relax. It's the perfect antidote to the craziness and chaos of the shopping centres and holiday rush. However you may be wondering if Christmas is actually celebrated in Vanuatu. It's all well and good to escape the stress but that doesn't mean you actually want to escape Christmas. The good news is that the people of Vanuatu follow the Christian calendar, meaning they do indeed celebrate Christmas.

Vanuatu holidays at Christmas time will still celebrate all the traditions of Christmas as well as New Year's, however the Ni-Van people call this celebration Bonane. Like most of the world, the people of Vanuatu celebrate the festive season by returning home to their villages to catch up with friends and family. They also traditionally form choirs which perform spectacular religious songs for other village neighbours.

Of course just like us in Australia, there will be no white Christmas in Vanuatu, no roasting chestnuts on an open fire and certainly no jack frost to rug up against. For everyone in Vanuatu, Christmas is more of a tropical affair and the closest you'll get to snow on the ground is the snowy white sand that covers the beaches. Still, it's a wonderfully unique way to celebrate Christmas and the South Pacific really turns it on for this wonderful time of year.

A summery Christmas in Vanuatu means swapping your usual yuletide backed ham, roast pork or turkey for incredible fresh seafood, cold meats, crisp salads and sweet tropical fruit. Of course if you just can't have Christmas without a big, hot, European-style lunch complete with roast meat, gravy, bon bons and all the trimmings then go right ahead. One of the best things about Christmas in Vanuatu is that you can spend it however you please. You don't have to miss out on your family traditions, but you can also try something new and kick back with a beach picnic if the mood takes you.

However you choose to spend Christmas, spending it in Vanuatu means sharing it with some of the friendliest people in the world and they are only too happy to celebrate with you.

(27th December 2017)