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Tristan Summer Holiday - Christmas and New Year Celebrations 2010/11 - Traditions and Dates

The Last Post
Christmas comes early on Tristan. Serious shopping begins in August with an eye to the sailing dates of the supply vessels from Cape Town. The last pre-Christmas scheduled sailing departs in mid November, so it’s not surprising that New Year diaries and calendars, together with most Christmas mail from friends and relatives overseas, literally ‘miss the boat’ and arrive here at the end of January.
Break Up Day
In early December the focus switches to the run up to the traditional Christmas / New Year holidays which cover over three weeks. On Break Up Day morning (on Friday 17th December 2010) arrangements are made to shut down over the next three weeks. Each family stocks up with supplies from the Island Store,which closes for over three weeks at noon on break-up day, and there is limited access to the store’s freezers where they rent space for frozen food. The Internet Café remains open during the lead up to Christmas, shift men will keep the electricity generators going, and the doctor holds surgeries, but both the pub and the café will be closed. Government and factory employees are invited to The Residency for drinks and afterwards, groups adjourn to their own departments for drinks, and the celebrations conclude with a number of ‘braais’ (BBQ) parties in the evening.
Sheep Shearing Day and other Farming Activities
Held in the summer period, this year it was on Saturday 11th December with much shearing done on the afternoon of Friday 10th as it was feared Saturday would be wet. Almost the entire village travels to the Patches for sheep-shearing day (see photos and reports below). The summer holiday is also a time to dig the early new potatoes, tend mountain sheep (the tastiest for 'big eats') and travel to Stony Hill to kill wild cattle for beef.
Church Services
Both St Mary’s Anglican and St Joseph’s Catholic Churches hold a carol service and on Christmas Eve a midnight mass to herald Christmas Day itself. Often people attend dressed in their party clothes before going on a round of home visits to wish family and friends a Merry Christmas. Christmas Day itself starts with a morning service at St Mary’s.
Big Eats
Christmas is a time for meals together, with 'Big Eats' of stuffed roast mutton, Tristan Tart and Tristan Pudding (a version of Spotted Dick). Braais (South African for Barbecue) are often held at homes, at Patches camping huts or on Runaway Beach.
Old Year's Night (not New Year's Eve on Tristan)
Old Year’s Night is a unique feature of a Tristan mid-summer with a special reception hosted by the Administrator on the lawns of The Residency if fine. There is lots of excitement before the first sightings of the ‘Green Men’ or ‘Okalolies’ – the group of costumed men who wear masks to disguise their faces and go round the village in the afternoon scaring the dogs and children. The party continues to the Chief Islander’s house, where the Okalolies sometimes unmask (otherwise it's difficult to drink!) and reveal their identities. Finally, off to other parties, perhaps with a braai, or down to the beach to toast the New Year in under the stars by a blazing driftwood fire. Happy New Year!

Dates for 2010-11

Church Services

St Mary's
Carol Service 5pm on Sunday 12th December
Midnight Mass and Blessing of the Crib 11.30pm on Friday 24th December
Christmas Morning Service at 8am

St Joseph's
Carol Service 5pm on Sunday 19th December
Midnight Mass at 11.30pm on Friday 24th December
Morning Service at 9am on Saturday 1st January

The Island Store will be closed at 12 noon on Friday 17th December and will reopen on Monday 10th January.

Freezer
Open from 8am - 8.15am on Mondays and Thursdays or by arrangement.

Internet Cafe
The Internet Cafe will be open from 20th - 24th December and will re-open on 10th January

Medical Arrangements
Surgeries will be held daily from 8am - 9am Mondays to Fridays and any emergencies will be dealt with around the clock as usual.
The Pharmacy will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am - 10 am.

Cafe and Albatross Bar will be closed on Friday 17th December and from Monday 20th December - Sunday 9th January.

Old Year's Night - 31st December 2010
The Administrator Sean Burns has invited all those over 18 years of age to The Residency for drinks between 7 - 8pm. Thereafter all adult men are invited to the residence of Chief Islander Ian Lavarello for refreshments.

Back to Work
Monday 10th January 2011

Carol Singers came to The Residency to delight Administrator David Morley and his wife Jacki
on 22nd December. Led by Jim (on his guitar) and Sue Kerr, the school children were in fine voice.

2009/10
Christmas and New Year Holiday

Sheep Shearing Day
See - Farming News Page

School Christmas Play
See - School News

Hectic preparations for Break Up Day were heralded by an early Sheep Shearing day on Saturday 12th December. Stuffed Roast Mutton is a usual Christmas Day Dinner.

Break-Up Day on Friday 18th December
marked the official start of a
three week mid-summer
Christmas and New Year Holiday
on Tristan da Cunha

The St Mary's School Christmas Play 'Beauty and the Beast' played to a packed school hall (see above) on Tuesday 16th December

Christmas - New Year Holiday 2008/9

The unusually late shipping arrivals (MV Baltic Trader and MV Edinburgh) in the week leading up to the planned Breaking Up Day of Friday 19th December 2008 has a knock-on effect on Tristan's traditional Christmas holiday arrangements.

Medical and Education Departments stopped (except for any medical emergencies) on the 19th as planned, but everyone else was kept working until Christmas Eve to unload Baltic Trader (arrived 19th December) and MV Edinburgh (arrived and unloaded Saturday 20th December). Work re-commenced between Christmas and Old Year's Night.  Sheep Shearing Day was eventually held on Monday 19th January. This is the first time this annual event has been held after Christmas, and was again postponed from the planned date of Saturday 17th January by bad weather.

St Mary’s Church Nativity Play
A Nativity Play was held in St Mary’s Church on 12th December 2008, organised by Father Chris Brown and by Emeline Dumouilla who masterminded the popular production.

The photo left shows left to right :

Father Chris Brown, Kimberley Green, Riaan Repetto, Linda Green, Dean Repetto, Natalie Swain, Caryn Green, Lynette Green, Emeline Dumouilla and Kelly Swain

Front Row: Leo Glass, Kaitlyn Hagan, Janice Green, Randall Repetto, Nathan Swain, Jade Repetto and Rhyanna Swain.

 

 

 

Left:
King Herod (Dean Repetto) with the three wise men ( Kelly Swain, Lynette Green & Caryn Green)

Right:
The cast surround the crib

Left:
Mary (Jade Repetto), and Joseph (Rhyanna Swain)

Right:
Narrator ( Kimberley Green) overlooks the shepherds (Natalie Swain, Nathan Swain, Randall Repetto Janice Green & Leo Glass) taking a break
     

Old Year's Night - 31st December 2008

Administrator David Morley broke with the male-only guest tradition on the 2008 Old Year's Night when women were welcomed for the first time.

Left :
Part of the crowd (including contractors working on the crane and fishing factory)

   



Right:
More of the Residency Reception guests

Left:
David’s last official function of a difficult year was to ‘welcome’ Okalolies in their traditionally bizarre costumes, (led by a Sprite!) to the Old Year Night Reception before then making mischief around the village.

     

Chief Islander Conrad Glass’ speech to those gathered at the Old Year’s night Reception on 31 st December 2008 :

I would like to welcome everyone to my reception, especially the contractors who choose to be away from their families during the Christmas holidays.

2008 has been a momentous year for Tristan, with sudden and tragic occurrences that affected the whole community. It was born of fire with the Factory been burnt to the ground. However a new one is being built, the steel frames taking shape on the original site. It’s like the Phoenix rising from the ashes—stronger more efficient to cope with the demands of the 21 st century, something the old factory was not up to. Some may think it was divine intervention that this happened?

During my visit to London I was surprised how little was known about Tristan and its lifestyle and problems. Many meetings and several copies of “Rockhopper Copper” handed out soon changed that.

The objective of my visit was to raise awareness of Tristan, and to seek support for the community. I departed from UK optimistic I had achieved this. The FCO, DFID, Crown Agents, Foreign Affairs Committee, Ministers, and other stakeholders, was sincere and genuine in their support for Tristan.

I made it clear to all Tristan was not looking for handouts, or wanted aid policy that was given to St Helena . Tristanians wanted to retain their independent way of life, to do their utmost to achieve a more financially, stable and prosperous economy, which would flourish for the benefit of future generations. We have made sacrifices and would do what it takes to endorse it.

To support this we need a more efficient system of Administration and infrastructure that offers us the benefits of the 21 st century, without undermining the ethos of our way of life. That is the foundation of family ties that binds the community together. In short give us the tools and training so we can do the work ourselves. Yes we need help with medical, harbour, roads, etc; but as British Citizens we have the same rights as other UK citizens - not left out in the wilderness to fend for our self.

On behalf of my family I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Please join me in a toast to absent family and friends.
Conrad Glass 31st December 2008


Old Year's Night
31st December 2007

Photographs of the famous
‘Green Men’ or ‘Okalolies’

from David Morley

After drinks at the Residency Reception (men only!), everyone moved onto the Chief Islander's house. 
By 2200 everyone had dispersed to their own celebrations, usually braai-related.

Old Year's Night Revellers

The unique Tristan da Cunha Community has established a tradition of men dressing up in disguise on 31st December - Old Year's Night and not New Year's Eve on the island.

On 31st December 2006 Administrator Mike Hentley
was able to host the men, (known locally as Okalolies) on a fine night at an evening Reception on the Residency lawns.

Unusually the men brought flowers for their hostess Janice Hentley (but it was later discovered they were from her garden!) , perhaps also because the usual male party was swelled by a group of ladies providing food and acting as barmaids!

The forthcoming Tristan Newsletter will contain a full report and more pictures (including the unmasking of a reveller for the first time!) of Tristan's Christmas and New Year celebrations.

See also an article on Old Year's Night
on the UK FolkPlay Website


Photos from Janice Hentley taken during the Old Year's Night Reception
Above : The Arrival of the Okalolies
Below : The men posing in appropriate foliage setting!


Above : 14 men in costume shows the traditional custom is alive and well in the 21st Century

Below : Thirsty work this dressing up

Sheep Shearing Day
16th December 2006
Breaking up for Christmas on Friday 15th December (with the entire Tristan Crawfish quota caught 2 days before)
means that the Tristan da Cunha community can concentrate on their farming jobs - starting with the annual sheep shearing day when every family travels to the Patches Plain to shear their sheep.

Photographs from Janice Hentley show :
Above right - the modern shearer travels by pick-up for five kilometres on Tristan's main road to the Patches Plain
Above right - the skill of shearing by hand is passed from father to son - here Ricky Swain (kneeling) and Desmond Green shear, while Patrick Rogers marks a sheep, watched by son Philip, while his daughter Donna chats to Ricky's wife Amanda behind the pick-up.
Left - Tristan's pensioners enjoy free bus services to The Patches and here Lucy Swain (left-standing), Douglas & his wife Frances Green tell Dr Joerg Jaschinski and wife Lucy how they used to shear twice as many sheep in half the time in the old days!
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This page first published January 2008