Rain did not extinguish the patriotic spirit on display outside the Falelauniu Church of Nazareth on Independence Day morning. 

From the early hours, members of the congregation held a parade and had danced on the road despite the rainy weather. 

It has been years since there was an Independence parade and the church had revived that tradition for its younger members. 

No public ceremony will be staged for today's Independence Day celebrations with a pre-recorded commemoration instead broadcast due to COVID-19 restrictions, health authorities said. 

Pastor Toeleiu Alatise of the Falelauniu Church of Nazareth told the Samoa Observer in an interview on Tuesday morning that he hoped that the youth find the spirit of independence and also enjoy commemorating Independence Day.

He said that there have been changes over the years but they have continued on with their church programme, bringing them together to praise the Lord.

“It took two weeks to prepare this event for the children as we had received news that there will be no Independence celebrations, so we had then prepared this,” he said.

The Falelaniu Church of Nazareth raised the flag after the parade and had then started their volleyball league tournament which was followed by displays of Samoan tradition. 

Even though the country was not able to come together to celebrate, the event brought the congregants immense happiness, the Pastor said. 

He was pleasantly surprised by Tuesday's events. 

He gave thanks to God and the Falelauniu Church of Nazareth for gathering together people, young and old.

This is the second year in a row that there will be no parade and an official celebration as is usually the case. Last year’s celebrations were similarly pre-recorded after a national state of emergency was declared.

On 28 October 1960 the people of Samoa overwhelmingly adopted and enacted the constitution of Samoa; in doing so it became the first South Pacific nation to become independent.

The General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously terminated the Trustee Agreement on Samoa on 7 July 1961. The termination took effect on 1 January 1962.