Christmas traditions in the Seychelles are similar to the Christian European customs and the majority of the population is Roman Catholic, so many attend religious services as part of the celebration but that doesn’t mean that the thrill of Christmas shopping is avoided.
Much time and energy are spent looking for the best possible Christmas presents for friends and family, with the streets of Victoria, with its small boutiques and merchant shops, are filled with busy shoppers, looking for a bargain or a great new toy.
The Seychellois take great pride in decorating their homes with a wide variety of colourful tinsel and fairy lights and a Christmas tree takes its central place in the living room, which can be a man-made tree or a Casurina tree, a local evergreen conifer which is found abundantly on the islands.
On Christmas Eve many families go to their local parish church for a Christmas Eve service, or they stay together at home and watch Christmas carols live on the local television.
Many children stay up all night waiting to catch a glimpse of Father Christmas arriving at their house, and in the morning find out he has left a lot of presents for them. After opening the presents, they will ether attend a Christmas day mass or join their families on the beach or a relative’s house for a large family lunch, where the merrymaking will go on throughout the day and late into the night.
The beaches of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue Island on Christmas day are full of families enjoying themselves, with many happy faces, rhythmic music and the smell of good food, as people celebrate the joy of the Christmas holiday with their loved ones.
