Photos by Eleanor Gee and Caroline Manu Moli

The new year welcomed seven beautiful new babies in Tonga, with six born at Vaiola Hospital on Tongatapu and one at Prince Ngu Hospital,
Vava’u. The first, arriving bright and early.

Herschel Tiuke Duane Miller Jr Pola was the first Tongan baby to make an entrance into the world on New Year’s Day at 6:00am. His parents, Mele and Tevita Pola, said Herschel is their third child.

An hour later, ‘Ofa-ki-Tonga Palanite, a boy, was born to Tominika and Aisea Palanite, their second child.

The third New Year’s baby boy, Sitili Foliaki, was born to Nancy and Sione Foliaki at 11:35am and is their sixth child.

At 1.35pm, Pisila Manu gave birth to the fourth New Year’s baby, a beautiful girl named Jasmaine Caroline Manu.

At 3:26pm, baby boy Fanga’uta Sione Falakiko was born to Sine and Loa Tanginoa, their second child.

In Vava’u, a baby girl was born at 3:45pm at Prince Ngu Hospital in Neiafu. No further details about the baby and her family was available.

The last baby on New Year's Day to make an entrance was Sione Mafi, born to Lilio and Kenani Mafi at 6.50pm.

There were no New Year’s Day babies born in ‘Eua. As for Ha’apai and the Niuas, Matangi Tonga could not get in touch with anyone at the hospitals on those islands.

Interestingly, last week UNICEF estimated that in the Pacific Islands, around 770 babies would be born on New Year's Day. This estimate included seven babies born in Tonga on New Year’s Day, which is spot on. Worldwide, UNICEF estimated around 385,793 babies would be born on New Year’s Day.