Hunting the Mysterious Okalolies

On Old Year's Night, the young men of the island of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic disguise themselves and go from house to house, making a lot of noise and trying to scare people. The householders try to guess who their visitors are, and supply them with refreshments. In recent times, the culmination of the custom has been a visit to a reception held by the Administrator at the Residency. The participants are known by a variety of names, including the unique 'Okalolies'. This name is of uncertain, but possibly Gaelic origin. The custom, however, includes elements of similar customs from the all the countries from which the settlers came. This illustrated article summarises how the custom has changed over the years.