Culture - Taha Wairua - Health

White Sunday

White Sunday for many Pasifika churches has been a time to celebrate children and a time of

togetherness and performances. For some children, however, it is a time of stress and pressure. White Sunday was brought to New Zealand by the people of Samoa, where it is a national holiday falling on the second Sunday in October, followed by a public holiday on the Monday. According to Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, the day was originally set aside by the London Missionary Society to honour the children of Samoa.

The White Sunday meal is the biggest feast of the year for many samoan families in New Zealand and back home in the islands. For some children White Sunday was a day where they were given freedom to treats such as ice-cream that they don't get to eat often.

But there are differing opinions with regards to the origins of White Sunday. Some say it is a Christian adaption of an indigenous pre-colonial-contact celebration at certain planting and harvesting seasons.

The day is for parents and communities to acknowledge and celebrate childhood by hosting special programs during church services which include spiritual recitations, biblical story reenactments, and creative dance performances. Children receive gifts (often new clothing and/or school supplies) on White Sunday and are allowed privileges normally reserved for elders, such as being the first to be served food at home at family meal time.

On White Sunday, Samoan women and children dress completely in white clothing, Some of them trim the clothes with the other two colours of the Samoan flag, red and blue. Men will wear white shirts with either white slacks or the traditional ie faitaga form of the lavalava. For me White Sunday used to be one of the scariest Sunday celebrations in my life, I used to not look forward to white Sunday because I didn't want to stand up in front a massive crowd and speak especially with strict Polynesian parents I had no choice, overall White Sunday was way more fun back in the islands rather than here in New Zealand.