Map Fiji

Customs of Fiji Islands

Marriage and Family

A native Fijian man chooses his own wife, and a grand wedding ceremony is held, accompanied by a solevu (a great feast). In the families of Fiji Islands' high chiefs, the parents must still approve their children’s future spouses. Indian parents have customarily arranged their children’s marriages, but this practice is also changing with outside influence. The Fijian father acts as head of the home. Families can be large. The elderly are usually cared for by their children. Villages are composed of families that form clans or mataqali (land-holding units). This extended family system has a collective or communal way of living. Subsistence chores are shared between men and women. Men engage in spearfishing, gardening, and construction, while women fish using lines and small nets, and also do the cooking, weaving of ibe (pandanus mats), and collecting of wild plants for food. The community is of great importance, as is evident in community ceremonies, cooperative building projects, and community pride. The custom of kerekere dictates that a relative or neighbor may ask for something that is needed, and it must be willingly given without expectation of repayment.

Eating

The mainstays of the Fijian diet are taro and cassava, starchy roots that can be grown in a family garden. Some leafy vegetables and many varieties of tropical fruit (papayas, mangoes, pineapples, and bananas) are also grown in Fiji Islands. Many dishes are prepared in lolo (coconut milk). Seafood, chicken, pork, and beef are all eaten in Fiji Islands, usually steamed, boiled, baked, or roasted. Indian meals generally consist of curries, rice, dhal (lentil soup), and roti (round, flat bread used for scooping up the curry). Many Fijian Indians are vegetarians, Hindus do not eat beef, and Muslims do not eat pork. Traditionally, Fijians and Indians did not use eating utensils, but spoons and forks are becoming more common in urban areas. In Fijian villages, breakfast usually consists of tea drunk from tin bowls and possibly rice or any leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. For meals, most Fijians spread a cloth on the mat-covered floor, sit cross-legged, pray, pass a bowl of water around for washing hands, and eat from tin plates and bowls. The water bowl is passed again after the meal. Women and girls usually eat after the men and boys. Food is shared in Fijian villages, not only because of communal obligations, but also because most homes do not have refrigerators to keep leftovers. For large feasts and special meals, food is cooked in the traditional manner in a lovo (ground oven). Indian homes generally have a small washbasin in the dining room for washing hands.

Socializing

The most common greeting among indigenous Fijians is Bula! (“Health”). In more formal situations a handshake might be added, and people may continue polite conversation for some time before they let go. Fijian Indians often use shorter handshakes and say Namaste when they greet. Native Fijians will go out of their way to greet anyone they meet. When passing a house in rural Fiji Islands, a person is greeted with Mai kana (“Come eat”). In this casual society, it is common to address most people by their first names. When people are related or have an established relationship, they may greet by reference to that relationship rather than by using their first names. For example, close friends may address each other as itau (a traditional friendship), and male cousins might use tavale (“cousin”). A chief is addressed by the title Ratu before his first name. Among native Fijians, tilting the head down while speaking to someone shows respect. Physical displays of affection, even between married couples, are frowned upon. Visiting is an important part of social relations; most visits are not prearranged. It is customary to remove one’s shoes when entering a home. Sitting cross-legged on a mat-covered floor is common in a Fijian home, but Indian homes have furniture. A chief or guest sits in a place of honor. It is impolite to stand higher than those who are sitting, so one takes care to be seated or to stoop when others are seated. Visits may last a long time. Refreshments are nearly always offered, and should be accepted with either Viinaka or Dhananbaad, the words for “Thank you” in Fijian and Hindustani, respectively.

An important symbol of social relations is yaqona, which is made from the root and lower stem of a shrub of the pepper family. The crushed or powdered root, when combined with water, is Fiji Islands' national drink. Sometimes called kava, the bitter-tasting drink encourages a sense of well-being and may be offered to guests as a special sign of goodwill. Yaqona is used to mark special occasions and end disputes, and is drunk at official ceremonies. Both native Fijians and Indians use the drink socially. It is prepared in a tanoa (special wooden bowl) and drunk from a bilo (coconut shell). When strangers enter a Fijian village, they seek out the chief or village headman to ask for permission to enter and visit, and are expected to present some yaqona to him. It is customary to clap three or more times (cobo) when presenting yaqona, as when accepting a gift, or excusing oneself when reaching above another person’s head.

Recreation

Fijians are sports minded, and they especially enjoy rugby, soccer, and cricket—Fiji Islands' national rugby team is among the best in the world. The traditional Fijian game of veicaqe moli (“kick the orange”) is played by women in villages during January to celebrate the new year. The winning team must present the losers with clothes, while the losers are responsible for mixing and serving yaqona to the winners that night. Visitors enjoy the beaches, golf, many water sports (snorkeling, windsurfing, scuba diving, etc.), and game fishing. Visiting friends and relatives is one of the main leisure activities in Fiji Islands. Festivals are also an important time of recreation.

Holidays and Celebrations

Official public holidays include New Year’s Day (1 January), Easter (Good Friday through Easter Monday), National Youth Day (March), Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day (May or June), the British Queen’s Birthday (observed on a Monday around 14 June), Constitution Day (July), Fiji Day (or Independence Day, a Monday around 10 October), the prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (July), Diwali (or the Hindu Festival of Lights, October or November), Christmas Day (25 December), and Boxing Day (26 December). Boxing Day comes from a British tradition in which gifts were presented to tradespeople and service workers; it is now a day for relaxing and visiting friends and family. There are also many festivals throughout the year to celebrate different events. The largest, held in Suva for a full week in August, is the Hibiscus Festival.

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