 |
King's Day Tradition(formerly Queen's Day) |
 |
|
The Tristan da Cunha community is proud of its British heritage. Tristan homes commonly feature portraits of the reigning monarch, and the annual King's Day (formerly Queen's Day) public holiday is always a special event with a range of activities to celebrate the monarch's birthday. Convention states that HM The King's Birthday can be celebrated on either of two occasions in the year: June to coincide with Trooping the Colour, or November to coincide with his actual Birthday. In practice this means that in the Northern Hemisphere it is often celebrated in June and in the Southern Hemisphere in November, for reasons of climate. On Tristan da Cunha, King's Day is held in November to coincide with HM King Charles III's actual birthday. It features community sports and competitions, and a loyal toast to His Majesty at an evening Reception hosted by the Administrator. During the reign of HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen's Day was held in February or March to enable a fresh produce show to be held in the austral late Summer / Early Autumn. |
||
King's Day, 2024
Report from Kelly Green and photos from Philip Kendall
Friday, 15th November 2024, saw the island come together for the much-anticipated King's Day celebrations. It was a truly beautiful day, filled with fun, laughter, and community spirit.
The day began early with the sound of the gong, signaling the start of the festivities. Many islanders headed off bright and early for the fishing competition. By 11:00 am, all the fish had to be submitted for judging, with the biggest catch taking the prize.
Fishing from the dolosse at Calshot Harbour
Fishing Winners
| Five Finger Fishing | Throwing the fish line | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Adult | Child | Men | Women | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | - | Philip Rogers | - | 56.4cm | 1st | - | Tyler Swain | - | 46.4cm | 1st | - | Larry Swain | 1st | - | Denise Rogers | |||||||
| 2nd | - | Linda Green | - | 50.3cm | 2nd | - | Lea Faye Green | - | 43.8cm | 2nd | - | Shane Green | 2nd | - | Leanne Swain | |||||||
At midday, a variety of judging events took place, showcasing the creativity and talent of the community. Categories included the best-knitted socks, coffee cake, lobster quiche, and a picture competition, among others.
 |
 |
| Entries for Best Socks | Anushka Hahn and Odile Cesari judging the socks |
 |
 |
| Entries in the Coffee Cakes class | Philip Kendall and Dr Jorge Cury judging the cakes |
 |
 |
| Judging the Crayfish Quiches | Fish Cake entries |
Food Winners
| Best Traditional Fried Apple Turnover |
Best Coffee Cake | Best Fish Cakes | Best Lobster Quiche | |||||||||||||
| 1st | - | Danny Swain | 1st | - | Sasha Swain | 1st | - | Beverley Swain | 1st | - | Randall Repetto | |||||
| 2nd | - | Lynette Green | 2nd | - | Sarah Glass Green | 2nd | - | Leon Glass | 2nd | - | Rachel Green | |||||
| 3rd | - | Miranda Repetto | 3rd | - | Leanne Swain | 3rd | - | Rhyanna Swain | ||||||||
The children's events began at 1:30 pm, a heartwarming highlight as the little ones enjoyed themselves in their own competitions. From 2:00 pm onwards, both adults and children participated in various activities, including tug of war, welly wanging, javelin, and a guessing game to determine the number of coins in a jar.
Best drawing of a cow or sheep
Children's art - Tristan Traditions
Art Winners
| Drawing of a Sheep or a Cow | Adult | - | Leon Glass | Child | - | Sophie Swain |
| Tristan Traditions | ||||||||||||||||
| Playgroup | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 | |||||||||||||
| 1st | - | Jake Swain | 1st | - | Ella Repetto | 1st | - | Rosslin Behrens | 1st | - | Aiden Repetto | |||||
| 2nd | - | Summer Swain | 2nd | - | Tyler Swain | 2nd | - | Owen Glass | 2nd | - | Lucas Swain | |||||
| Class 1 | Leah Faye Green | |||||||||||||||
Mystery game: What on earth is happening here?! - * Answer at the foot of the page
Competition Winners
| Stacking Cups with a Balloon | Guess the number of coins in the jar |
Toilet Paper Challenge | |||||||||||||||
| Adult | Child | 1st | - | Yolanda Sebitloane | |||||||||||||
| 1st | - | Nicky Swain | 1st | - | Lucas Swain | Joint 1st | - | Fouche Conradie and Denise Rogers |
2nd | - | Shane Green | ||||||
| 2nd | - | Steve Swain | 2nd | - | Savanna Green | 3rd | - | Larry Swain | |||||||||
Men's Tug of War on American Fence
Wellie wanging
Philip Kendall throwing the javelin
The day's excitement concluded with a spirited game of football rounders for adults, a tradition that never fails to bring plenty of laughter.
Field Games Winners
| Welly Wanging | Javelin | |||||||||||||
| Men | Women | |||||||||||||
| Men | - | Patrick Green | (32.3m) | 1st | - | Patrick Green | 1st | - | Donna Green | |||||
| Women | - | Donna Green | (18.4m) | 2nd | - | Wynand Van Vuuren | 2nd | - | Rhyanna Swain | |||||
| Child | - | Lucas Swain | (14.9m) | 3rd | - | Nicky Swain | 3rd | - | Shannon Swain | |||||
At 5:00 pm, everyone gathered at the Residency, where Administrator Philip Kendall and his wife Louise hosted a delightful reception. Prizes were handed out to the winners of the day's events, followed by a toast to His Majesty the King.
Children play in the Residency garden during the Admin's reception at the end of the day
Conchita Repetto keeping an eye on the well-stocked drinks table at the Admin's reception.
Philip was proud to host the first King's Day following His Majesty's Coronation in 2023. He thanked everyone for participating so enthusiastically throughout the day and was encouraged by the fact that the prizes in the best socks and cooking categories were won by both men and women alike.
As the sun set and a beautiful full moon appeared as people headed home after a great day.
* 'Mystery game' answer: You had to blow up a balloon in a cup and try and stack them on top of each other. It was hard.