Ni sa Bula Vina’a, Namaste, As-salamu alaikum, Ni Hao, Noa’ia e mauri, and warm festive greetings to you all.
As the year 2024 draws to a close, we gather in the spirit of Christmas — a time of joy, reflection, and togetherness for families in Fiji and all over the world.
For Christians we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is a time of hope and renewal.
For all faiths and traditions, the end of each year is a season that calls us to pause amidst our daily errands, duties and responsibilities to cherish the blessings of family, community, and faith.
Christmas reminds us of the enduring values that unite us as a nation – love, compassion, reconciliation, resilience, hard work and the hope for a brighter tomorrow. These values have guided us through the challenges we have faced this year, and they remain the foundation of our shared identity as people of Fiji.
Reflection on the Year Past
The Year 2024 has been a year of resilience and renewal. Together, we have faced our collective and individual challenges with courage and celebrated our achievements to inspire hope for the future.
From the quiet strength of farmers nurturing our land, teachers guiding our future generations, doctors and nurses tending to the sick, to the determination of tertiary students pursuing their dreams, each of us contributes to our communities and knit together the fabric of our nation in our own unique way.
We have seen acts of kindness that reflect the heart of Fiji – communities coming together to support those in need, neighbours lending a helping hand, and families sharing what little they have with those who have less. These moments remind us that the true spirit of Christmas is alive in our homes, our villages, and communities all year round.
Gratitude for Civil Servants, First Responders and Members of the Disciplined Services
To our hardworking civil servants, first responders, and members of the disciplined forces who ensure the safety and well-being of our people during the festive season, we thank you. Your dedication is a gift to our nation, and your service exemplifies the selflessness that Christmas inspires.
To those who have left our shores but remain connected to our homeland, your love for Fiji and your contributions to your families and communities are deeply valued. Wherever you are in the world, you carry the light of Fiji with you. Vinaka vakalevu for always having the nation and her people in your thoughts and prayers.
A Message of Unity and Hope
As we gather with loved ones to celebrate this special time, let us also reflect on the importance of unity. Our diversity is our strength, and our shared traditions bind us together as one people, one nation.
This Christmas, let us recommit ourselves to building a Fiji where no one is left behind – a Fiji where every child can dream without limits, every family can live in dignity, and every community can thrive.
Let us also remember the vulnerable in our midst: those without homes, those facing hardships, those who struggle with addiction and loneliness, families who struggle with loved ones who are lost to drug addiction or alcohol addition, and those who grieve the loss of loved ones who passed away this year.
In your moments of reflection, may you also remember loved ones who have passed on. We pray for their eternal peace, and may you embrace the love and serenity that is enshrined in the true meaning of Christmas.
Some may be alone this Christmas, each one of us can reach out and lend a hand and share the joy of Christmas to a neighbor in need this Christmas. In the different ways that we define family, whether blended, extended or nuclear, let’s all share our blessings with those who are struggling this Christmas. May we open our hearts and extend the hand of love and friendship to those in need, just as the Christmas story teaches us to care for one another.
As the lights of Christmas brighten our homes, villages, and communities, may they also illuminate our hearts with love and gratitude. May the peace and joy of this season guide us into the New Year with renewed purpose and a steadfast commitment to our nation and each other.
On behalf of my family, the Office of the President, and the Government of the Republic of Fiji, I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year. May your celebrations be filled with laughter, love, and the warmth of togetherness.
Vina’a va’alevu, Dhanyavaad, Shukria, and thank you.
May God Bless Fiji and all who call her home.