The Boxing Day public holiday fell on a Sunday this year, making the day, for most Samoans, about attending church as usual.

In other parts of the world, Boxing Day is a much-anticipated chance for shoppers to flock to the shops to take advantage of sales. 

However, as a country founded on God, the Samoan people treated the public holiday as any other Sunday to be observed through prayer and attending a church service.

Church denominations across the country held services on Sunday morning. 

Among those were the Methodist Church at Vaitele-Uta. 

The church service was led by the Chair of Apia West Synod, Reverend Reupena Asiata, who is the church minister of Vaitele-Uta.

“The commemoration or celebration of Christmas in Samoa is not new,” he told the Samoa Observer. 

“We give thanks to God that the message behind the celebration of Christmas continues to grow, revived and is still continuously celebrated.

“When we talk about Christmas, we then talk about God’s love for the world.”

Rev Reupena said Jesus’s birth and coming to this world is so that our sins may be forgiven.

"For the Methodist Church, we used the theme focused on a bright star appearing in the sky when Jesus was born where three kings followed the star to find Jesus," he said. 

“Jesus is the King, even the stars which do not have a voice shone brightly to signal the birth of the Messiah.

“This is also an important message for Samoa; we must remember and celebrate his birth which symbolises salvation.

“Samoa is also heading into celebrating or welcoming a new year, it is important to remember that through God’s love that he gave his only son.” 

He also added that it is also their church’s hope and prayer that Samoa has a safe and happy Christmas and a blessed New Year.

 “We have more than 200 congregation members. 

“As part of our church’s programmes for Christmas we held our annual Christmas caroling for every home to spread the message of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth.”