Here's a blog entry I meant to do...

While I was in Samoa, I forgot to blog the crazy Christmas decorations that people put up. Imagine this... you go to church on Sunday, walk up the steps to the front door, then look up and see Santa scaling the outside wall with his reindeer dancing on the roof of the church. Big flashing lights read "Manuia Kerisimasi" across the front of the church. The whole front of the church looks like Chevy Chase's home in the movie "Christmas Vacation." You could be dreaming, or else you're probably in American Samoa.

Courtesy of the Brown Family's blog, I bring you some Christmas decor--island style.

This statue is in memoriam of the first Christian missionaries in American Samoa. I do not believe they were greeted by penguins and mice (well, maybe mice). You also have to love how the snowmen and penguins were paying their respects at the manger.

Last year Santa WAS scaling the wall of this church. I guess they thought they could one-up last year with at least 37 Santas and untold other Christmas creatures. Now THIS is a festive church!

And I'm not sure who this Samoan guy is with the real Santa beard and hat, but if he's the pastor, well then, that's totally cool.