Pacific Travel - Yap Day
Yap Day
The Biggest Cultural Celebration Of The Year
Less than one year after the devastating Typhoon Sudal, the people of Yap were able to enjoy their great annual celebration of Yap Day 2005. It took place in a field north of the airport on February 28 and March 1st, 2005. As Margie Falanruw, a Yap resident for over 20 years, noted: "It is great that the people of Yap celebrated even though they had very little time to practice their dances. It took so much time and effort to repair and rebuild after Sudal that the people could not devote the time they used to."
Indeed, after the disastrous typhoon last Easter weekend, there were still many houses and places which have not been restored or repaired. Nonetheless, Yapese men and women made time in the evenings to practice their dances. Thanks to them, Yap Day was able to rise again as a great celebration.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
The celebration is not only for the Yapese-visitors and residents were also invited to show what they could do in contest such as coconut husking and spear-throwing for men and palm frond ball-weaving and juggling for female competitors. They learnt an appreciation for "island time", although some people wanted to see more dances. During dance and activities breaks, visitors enjoyed tasting such local food as crabs, sashimi, lumpia and taro and cooled off with cold coconut milk. Visitors often bought numerous presents for relatives at home such as skirts, baskets and local fruit and vegetables.
Yap Day is celebrated annually at the beginning of March. For more information visit www.visit-fsm.org/
