Gifts

Traditional gifts, or Sua, at past celebrations have always included either slaughtered cattle or pigs, along with fine mats.

This year they were replaced by gift hampers.

Newsline Samoa reported the government wanted to reduce the slaughter of cattle and pigs to help grow national livestock numbers.

Last year only pigs were used.

An organising committee member said the new practice was good for overseas guests because they could take the hampers home as souvenirs.

Loop PNG lifestyle asked random people what they would want for this Christmas.

The responses, if not very specific, varied:

There are those who are focused on technology and know exactly what they want:

DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quardcopter Drone With 2.7 HD Video Camera, DSLR camera, 5D cannon, i-Phone 6, Apple Mac, Canon D3500 and S7 (for my husband).

Then there are those like Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who snorted some of his father's ashes, actress Patsy Kensit who slept beside her mother's for years or the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, who had his ashes blasted into space.

So perhaps the Australian man who decided to have his mother's ashes turned into a surfboard, and her photo emblazoned on the front, was not that unusual.