Samoan congregations and families celebrated White Sunday in churches around the country as the nation paused to honour the gift of children. 

Marked on the second Sunday of October every year, children are usually dressed in their finest attire and bring the Bible's stories to life through chapter recitals and plays. 

White Sunday is a day for communities to acknowledge and celebrate their children by hosting special programs during the services, which include scriptural recitations [tauloto], biblical story re-enactments, and other creative performances.

Children are also given the responsibility of planning and leading the church services which are privileges normally reserved for elders, such as being the first to be served food during meal time.

The children practice for several weeks in the lead-up to White Sunday celebrations and the older children are responsible for the day's sermon.

Following to'ana'i or a family feast, and apart from being served first, for many families the children are also excused from house chores for the day.

This year the White Sunday theme for all parishes under the Congregational Christian Church Samoa (C.C.C.S.) umbrella was "All one in Christ" which was also the theme for the bible readings for this week. This message and theme echoed through the different stories and dances performed by the children on their special day.

According to Reverend Vaueli Sanerivi of the C.C.C.S. parish at Faletagaloa Safune, White Sunday is also a day of thanksgiving, acknowledging God's gift of life and the children he has blessed the community with. 

He said Samoa's children are also the future of families, villages and the nation.

"On this special day, we also remember the children who could not be with us today," he said. "We also remember their parents, we understand today must have been hard for them knowing one or two of their children have been called back home by our Lord. 

"To children who are celebrating this year's White Sunday without parents, we also remember you in our prayers."

Rev. Vaueli also used the opportunity to remind his congregation of the importance of working together to raise the future of Samoa's families, villages, churches and country. 

"It takes a village to raise a child. This means each and everyone has a part to play."