Mother’s Day in the Service Center–May 9, 2014

Holidays are interesting.  We get so used to the way we celebrate holidays that it’s been interesting to us to see how different people and places celebrate the same holidays.

Christmas is very low key here.  It falls in the middle of summer and at it’s more of a Santa kind of holiday here.  We sang a few Christmas hymns and that was about all that happened

But Mother’s Day here is BIG.  Friday at the service center all the men  fixed brunch for the women workers.  And they put together quite the spread, sandwiches, donuts, cookies, fruit and much more.  And then Elder Wakolo came in and said that Mother’s Day deserved a song.  And they all sang Happy Mother’s Day to Happy Birthday music – and they sing three verses here.

And he also mentioned that in spite of Fijian tradition the women would eat first.  Wow!  That of course never happens in Fiji.  And so we ate first, with the brothers all standing by in their white shirts…waiting for their turn.  And then to top off the day in an amazing style….the men cleaned up and did the dishes!!  Unheard of in Fiji!!!  Pretty amazing and pretty fun.  Have to remember that Mother’s Day song for future reference!