Holidays & Observances in Samoa

Samoa is a Pacific island country that occupies the western half of the Samoan Islands. Its culture is a mixture of influences from the various cultures it has hosted, most of which were European, or formerly European countries. It has strong ties to New Zealand due to its location and New Zealand’s former occupation of the islands. Some of Samoa’s current national holidays come from New Zealand. Due to European influence, Samoa is almost entirely a Christian nation. Christianity was easily able to take over for the traditional religions because they were very similar and traditional Samoans believed in a prophecy that claimed that a new and better religion would come along. Because of the wide influence of Christianity, its holidays are celebrated by almost everyone in the nation.