How Christmas is celebrated in the region

December brings the return of annual holiday gatherings across the region. There will be races, feasts, basketball tournaments and other decades-old traditions.
The Nome Nugget reached out to several villages around Norton Sound and the Bering Strait to put together of snapshot of how communities are celebrating Christmas and the New Year.

Wales
Anna Oxereok, president of the Native Village of Wales, can remember games occurring around the holidays from the time she was a girl. Oxereok said it’s important to keep those traditions going, and this week she was busy helping to plan this year’s events. Wales was set to begin its first night of games on Dec. 20, and those will last until New Year’s Eve. They’ll have NYO games and other types of races. The three entities in the village—the tribe, corporation and city—will take turns hosting. Oxereok said she hoped reindeer (in the form of meat, not Rudolph and his buddies) from Savoonga would arrive in time for a community Christmas feast on Dec. 25.
Wales also some outdoor races planned, as long as the weather cooperates, and a New Year’s dance on Dec. 31. Oxereok said that the church program won’t be the same without longtime lay pastor Gilbert Oxereok, who recently passed away.

Unalakleet
Unalakleet got into the Christmas spirit early in the month, with a tree lighting on Dec. 1.
City Administrator Kelsi Ivanoff said that student musicians brought out their instruments to play a few Christmas songs, led by their music teacher Sam Towarak. The community is also planning for outdoor and indoor games to celebrate the New Year. The Unalakleet Jamboree, an annual basketball tournament, now in its 37th year, will take place from Dec. 28 to 30.

Shaktoolik
Residents of Shaktoolik can look forward to games every day during Christmas break, said Gloria Andrew, who works as a custodian at the school. The Shaktoolik IRA office was putting on games during the day for kids, while Elders games and games for teens and adults were scheduled for later in the evening. Andrew said that outdoor Christmas games would include a wood chopping contest, a hammer and nail contest and an ice pick contest to see who is the fastest at making a hole in the ice.
“Everyone looks forward to the games,” said Brittney Adams, who is part of the Christmas committee at the IRA office.
There’s also baking contests planned for Christmas and New Year’s, as well as a contest for home lighting that will be judged on the 23rd, Adams said. In addition to a community potluck, Adams’ favorite parts of this season are seeing the Native regalia, the NYO games and “the whole community have fun and enjoy the Christmas holiday with each other.”

Savoonga
Santa Claus is coming to Savoonga. Dena Kingeekuk at the Savoonga IRA office said he’ll give out candy and take pictures with the kids, on the 25th. The Presbyterian Church will also host its annual Church program, for youth and kids on the 24th and then for adults on the 25th.

Gambell
A worker at Gambell’s municipal office said that the community will be holding its annual Christmas gift exchange. Everybody gathers at the school gym on Dec. 23 and 25 to open presents. The IRA office will also host New Year’s racing games with prizes. The school held its Christmas program last week and students shared holiday songs.

Shishmaref
This year, Shishmaref is planning a communal feast on Christmas Day at the school gym. The feast will be a potluck, with community members bringing dishes to share.  After that, merrymakers will dance the day away with Eskimo dancing and  participate in two basketball games, one for men and one for women.  There will also be a church service on Christmas day.

Brevig Mission
Brevig Mission’s Christmas Day will also feature a potluck feast.  Before that, however, on Christmas Eve, there will be a church program featuring a children’s Christmas play, singing and prayers.  
Members of the community bring gifts for a gift exchange and, during the event, young people pass the gifts out for everyone to take home.  
After Christmas, from December 26 through New Year’s Evet, Brevig hosts races in the afternoon and nights of Eskimo games and raffles.

White Mountain
Over in White Mountain, the annual Christmas Eve Church program starts at 7 p.m.  After Christmas, on Dec. 26, the Alani (Fun) games begin.  These games are open to all ages and feature things like relays, musical chairs, limbo, a group numbers game, question and answer and other creative games.  
On the 28th, this year, White Mountain is hosting their Dorcus games, similar to the Alani games, but for adults.  The Dorcus games also feature a gift exchange where the men bring gifts for the woman and the women bring gifts for the men.  
Celebrations in White Mountain end on New Year’s with fireworks on the river.
Little Diomede