Cook Islands Gospel Days
A celebration with plays, singing, dancing and music.
Gospel Days in the Cook Islands are a chance for visitors to experience both the traditional culture and the Christian heritage of the islands.
Travel to the Cook Islands may coincide with one of the Cook Islands Gospel Days, giving the visitor a chance to experience a pageant (nuku) of plays with a Christian theme, but with a strong traditional Cook Island flavour.
In the Cook Islands the arrival of Christianity is celebrated on many of the islands with Gospel Days celebrations, which include re-enactments of the arrival of the first Christians and re-telling of bible stories. These elaborate outdoor “plays” are often wonderfully entertaining and original, sometimes melodramatic and funny, and occasionally experimental, but all performances have a distinct island flavour and are a memorable experience.
Gospel day pageants are performed by groups from the different CICC (Cook Islands Christian Church) churches who gather to compete against one another in a highly competitive, but good-natured competition. A great deal of effort is spent creating fabulous and interesting costumes, sets, props and scripts in preparation for Gospel Day. Many of the islands in the Cook Island group celebrate individual Gospel Days. They are usually public holidays for that island and the islanders approach the day with a festive and excited holiday air. (For Dates visit http://oceania-island-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/whats_on_in_the_cook_islands_2007)
The Conversion
The conversion of the Cook Islands to Christianity began in 1821 on the island of Aitutaki and, with only a few setbacks, spread through the Cook Islands. The success of this conversion was due principally to the guidance of Reverend John Williams of the London Missionary Society.
The Pageants
Nuku is the Maori word traditionally used to describe the pageants and locals may refer to Gospel Day celebrations as Nuku Day. It means a group, company or band of people.
Re-enactments of the arrival of Christianity can be serious, but can also be tongue in cheek in keeping with the great humour of the island people. This light-hearted approach may include melodrama, over acting, and main characters pretending immense stupidity, but the acceptance of the new religion always plays the main part. Do not be surprised if God’s voice booms out, disembodied, through loudspeakers or if angels appear on the roof of a church. Dancing, singing and music are all part of a Nuku. Some performances may be more contemporary, but they all have a traditional flavour with drumming, islander singing and hula dancing incorporated into the stories.
Nuku are a great way to experience Cook Island Culture and timing a trip to this picturesque part of the world may include consideration of Cook Island Gospel Days as a feature of your holiday.
For dates for the individual island Gospel Days in the Cook Islands visit http://oceania-island-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/whats_on_in_the_cook_islands_2007
