The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS) from Vaitele-uta closed off the 21st annual 13 Days of Christmas programme last Monday at their compound.

On Christmas Eve, the CCCS Vaitele-uta choir group celebrated the love and birth of Jesus Christ as they made the countdown to Christmas.

According to Tauvela Su’a — wife of Reverend Muao Su’a of CCCS Vaitele-uta — the spirit of Christmas is about the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.

“We may have centered the theme towards Christmas lights and music. But we will always focus on the significance of this festive season, and that is to remember the love of our God through the gift of his beloved son. 

“This year has ended with yet another successful programme, each year we commence planning from the beginning of the year, and so the layout of the plan starts on February and by April the selected choirs will be notified of their performance selection.

“We also start fundraising in the beginning of the year, so we can cater to the budget plan required for various uses like providing assistance to the various invited performers in terms of bus fares, due to a great distance they have to travel so they can perform,” she said. 

Tauvela said two weeks before the programme officially began, they visited all the choirs to get a taste of what to expect.

“Every year we close off the show with our church performance and it is more of a thanksgiving not only to God, our country but also our viewers.

“We also acknowledge our continuous partnership with TV1 in providing live coverage of the programme, and after 21 years it has become part of Samoa’s calendar according to the Deputy Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa in her opening speech. 

“And now that this year has concluded we look forward to another year in terms of preparations and planning.” 

The choirs performing that performed this year included: the Ministry of Police’s Choir, Ministry of Women Community and Social Development, Safata College choir, Alafua Methodist choir, CCCS from Vaiala, Sagaga Secondary School choir, CCCS Uafato Fagaloa, The Shrine of the Three Hearts from Vaoala choir, CCCS Lufilufi choir, Musician night, Methodist Vaipoto o manu from Vaitele fou choir, CCCS Vaivase-tai, and CCCS Vaitele-uta.