Biba Mes Chamoru! A Toast to Chomorro Month

Image: All rights and credits to : www.www.goisland.net

If you are a tourist with a penchant for indigenous cultures, March is the time to visit Guam, because the whole month is dedicated to the celebration of Guam’s own Chomorro culture. Yes, Biba Mes Chamoru!

Chomorro culture celebrations, which once lasted over a week, now stretch over a month and all through March, this beautiful culture is celebrated with fun, cultural activities, Chamorro food and music.

The Guam Department of Education Chamorro Studies Division has lined up an impressive list of events to get things going.

A Calendar of Events by the DOE for Mes Chamoru:

March 7 to 15: The entries of the poster contest held by the Department of Education will be on display at the Agana Shopping Center. This year’s theme for the contest is “Hita: Hinasson i Taotåo-ta Åntes,” or “We/Us: Reminiscing about the Wisdom and Knowledge of our Ancestors.”
March 7: Culinary/Food Tasting and Hut Building Competition from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Agana Shopping Center.
March 14: Weaving Competition from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Agana Shopping Center.
March 21: Modan Chamoru, or Chamorro Fashion Show from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at te Agana Shopping Center. DOE students will showcase styles from the Latte, Spanish, Early American and Contemporary eras.
March 28: Geran Kåddon Pika, or Hot and Spicy Chicken Competition, will kick off at Cost-U-Less in Tamuning. DOE students will prepare, cook and display their best pika dishes.
For more information regarding the events, please contact the DOE Chamorro Studies Division at 300-5048/5055.

All month long, the Farm to Table Guam organization has an ongoing hashtag contest to promote local agriculture. Just head over to 9th Street Rotary, Mosa’s Joint or Pika’s Café, order anything on the menu that has local produce as one of the ingredients, take a photo, and hashtag #FarmtoTableGuam. That’s it, and you get entered to win a gift basket brimming with local produce and products. For more details, please visit: www.FarmToTableGuam.org.

In addition to this, the whole of Guam is gearing up with several activities at various locations, all being organized to celebrate the beautiful culture of this beautiful people.
These include Boñelos cooking demonstrations and Guma’ Fuetsan i Chamoru-ta performances, Spam keleguen competition and while at it, pick up some skills like coconut weaving, husking and grating. You might also want to crank up the heat with Acoustic Bands and Swimwear Fashion Shows.

And as always, the best place to stay and catch all that fun? Days Inn Guam, the most popular Guam hotel, situated right where all the action is. Our friendly staff will only be happy to direct you to the best spots to catch the most fun. And in case you did not know, Days Inn Guam has also been selected at the #1 Hotel in Tamuning by Trip Advisor.

Also watch this space for upcoming mega events, the Guam International Marathon, Guam Shopping Festival and the Micronesia Island Fair. We’ll be back with updates.