Fiji Local Custom Tips by geanster

In Fiji- and other parts of Polynesia -- the drinking of kava, is a common ceremonial and social custom. It has a very important place in many of the villages and in the culture in general, however, as it's such a staple of Fijian life, the resort's have exploited it as well for their guests so if you're interested, many locations have a kava ceremony you can take part in around dusk.

Kava looks like dirty water and is made by grounding up the root into a powder and seiving it into a bowl with water. It has a mild narcotic effect.

It seemed to me to be more of a masculine passtime and even when we'd walk through handicraft stores in Nadi, you'd find a group of men around a huge bowl of it sitting in the back of nearly every store.

Kava can also be used as a tool of forgiveness. I met one housegirl who had left her husband's home to spend some time with her parents, however, after a few weeks, he never came to retrieve her, and as is there custom, she cannot go back to his house under those circumstances. The next step was for him to approach her father with an offering of kava to ask to have her back.

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Everyone here wear's sulu's. A sulu is Fiji's all-purpose, one-size-fits-all garment. Women wear them 100 different ways from a beachside wrap to an evening dress while men in business and government wear them as a day skirt. If you're not used to men wearing skirts, you will be after your visit.

They make really great gift's to take home as well and you can find them in many different designs and fabrics and prices.

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Many of the resort's in Fiji actually have organized demonstations on how to tie the sulu's as part of their daily program option's.

I found this diagram and the words were undecipherable on the image so I'll lay them out for you here...

WOMEN

1. Stand with feet about a foot apart, grasp ends of sulu and position firmly over butt.

2. Overlap one end over another, making sure the inner end sticks out around the waist.

3. At side fold of inner flap, pinch excess fabric together. Knot this with corner of outer flap.

4. Breathe in, knot again to secure, breathe out.

MEN

1. Stand with feet about a foot apart. Grasp ends of sulu and position firmly over butt.

2. Put two corners together straight out in front. Make several small zig-zag pleats until it fits snugly.

3. Roll down to waist until pleat is secure.

4. Breathe in, and tuck ends in near belly button. Breathe out.

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One of the popular traditional Fijian entertainments is watching villagers walk on hot stones. Many of the resort's offer a night to watch this for yourself. The men prepare the stones all day and at night, after much ceremonial singing and clapping and preparations, they turn the stones over to ensure the hottest stones on top and they take turns walking over them in their bare feet.

Allegedly, only men from a certain village are capable of doing this. Someone also told me that many of them men will abstain from sexual relations, etc. the nights before they walk the stones.

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In accordance with the legendary tradition of the Sawau tribe of the island of Beqa, the firewalking ceremony is still performed on special occasions.

The firewalking skill is possessed by the Sawau tribesmen living in the four villages on the windward, or Southern side of the island of Beqa. In special cases, however, members of the other tribes who have been adopted by the Sawau tribe, have successfully performed the ceremony. the main village is know as Dakuibeqa where the chief of the tribe known as Tui Sawau lives.

When the ceremony is to be performed several representatives are chosen from each village, the total number being usually from the immediate family of the Bete. For two weeks before the event, the participants segregate themselves from all females and have no contact with them whatsoever, also they must not eat any coconut. Failure to observe the tabu renders the culprit liable to severe burns during the ceremony.

This is a more accurate description from http://www.bulafiji.com/about/history/legends/fire_w.shtml

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Lovo is the traditional way of cooking a meal, often in celebration. The preparation consists of digging a hole and preparing a fire within it. They layer in the food such as dalo (their super starchy equivalent to potato), chicken, pork, etc. with onions and spices wrapped in coconut leaves. Then they bury it and dig it up hours later when it's ready. It's really delicious! The table spread in the photo shows a variety of the local food, much of it from the lovo. I didn't know what more than half of it was.

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