Churches on the south coast of Upolu marked Father’s Day with song, laughter and feasts on Sunday as families from abroad also flew in to join the celebrations. 

With Samoa's borders open, enabling family members living abroad to travel home and join in the celebration, their presence pointed to the return of normalcy after two and a half years.

Fathers living in Lalomanu, Satitoa, Tiavea and Saleaaumua were the focus of the celebrations by their respective churches with their wives, family members and children leading and joining the celebrations.

When the Samoa Observer visited the Methodist Church in Satitoa, the men wore green ties and had flowers on their pockets. 

A father Leatitoa Atina'e told this newspaper that he had just performed with his group. 

"I just came down from our performance. We are delighted to be celebrating Father's Day together despite the past restrictions of COVID-19,” he said. 

Leatitoa added that not all fathers would go to church to mark the occasion but he hopes their celebrations will woo more fathers to join.

"It has not been all the fathers of the church coming, but I hope that when they hear of our celebrations, they will come to join us," he said. 

"More will strengthen us, as you know. If some fish wander off, the whole school will weaken.

"So we always want more men to participate because the fathers are the heads of families. 

“If they do not consider Father's Day important then they are not valuing the reason they exist, they exist for the family.”

Talking about his faifeau (church pastor), Mr.  Atina'e said fathers in his church were blessed by the pastor.

"Our reverend Ioane Sefuiva has blessed us today [Sunday] and I am elated, he has also prayed over our families and our village and of course our country, that always gives hope to the heart," he said. 

At the E.F.K.S Mutiatele the children were getting served with ice cream when this newspaper visited.

Tuava Levasa Ieti, a resident of the village and member of the church, told the Samoa Observer that he was very happy to attend the Father's Day service and to see people from overseas also attending. 

"It is great to celebrate Father's Day while borders are open as it feels like a real Father's Day now. 

“I am also excited to see that there were people from overseas who had made it to celebrate with their fathers in Samoa.”

As the owner of Namu'a beach fales, the tourist operator said that he can only thank God for his blessings and that he is looking forward to new guests arriving at his beach fales.

"I am blessed and for that I am grateful to God. I am alive and given a chance to serve my village and family so I can only do my best and wait for guests to come to Namu'a island. It is only a matter of time now.”

For Father’s Day celebrations at the E.F.K.S Lalomanu, it was all dance, songs and plays led by both the matai and untitled men with women and children joining the festivities.

As for 30-year-old Lalomanu resident Mika, he cooked for his wife and children as they went to spend Father’s Day with his father.

"I got up early to cook, and I am a young man so I don't have to join the older men who can sit and relax. 

“My wife is with my father and she took our children, while I cooked the food for them to take then I could go to work.”

The Assembly of God Church in Lotopu'e, the Catholic Church in Satitoa and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (L.D.S.) in Mutiatele also celebrated Father’s Day.