Day 57: The end of Nobena

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Today was the last of the nine days of Nobena for Jules’ family. This means a very large celebration of prayer, food and community gatherings. The Nobena is a celebration of Jesus and due to the large Spanish influence here Mary as well. The Techa came in again and read the prayers and there were more songs than the previous days. Then there was the eating. The spread put our Thanksgiving to shame. There were 4 tables of food, a fully roasted pig, a table of desserts and then the Bonelos (a yam based donut). I was lucky enough to go through the food line with Cam and her daughter Frankie who advised me to go minimal on the carbs and stay away from the American dishes because I can get them any time. Not only were all the tables full but there was a second dish of EVERYTHING inside the house. My favorites from the night were the beef, roast beef, Chamorros’ stuffing, red rice and the kelaguen. Kelaguen is a process of not fully cooking something over a stove or in an oven, but using an acid like lemon to cook it. They had an entire table of kelaguen and each was more delicious than the last: chicken, octopus, fish and shrimp. In hindsight I could have just posted up there and been very happy. After the eating the DJ opened the dance floor. Jules said this year was a smaller celebration, probably just over 200 people attended throughout the night. I had a blast talking with a family friend Elizabeth who told me about how weddings used to be held in the house and that people came in shifts similar to our graduation party because a typical wedding was 400 to 600 people. Cam also told me about how most Chamorros in her generation don’t speak fluent Chamorral because proper English was valued more than native tongue. So she can only read it and speak it but doesn’t necessarily know what she is saying. Jules and her sisters are more fluent and know what the Nobena prayers are saying but not much more than that. It is a very family to family decision and not something taught in school. It is currently on the rise though as younger generations want to honor their heritage. It reminds me a lot of our Native Americans in the states. It has been a highlight of Guam to be invited to these family celebrations because they are so willing to share their culture and family traditions with newcomers. It has been a truly rich cultural experience.

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