Culture

Fiji derives its multicultural heritage from the combination of European and Indian as also its own indigenous traditions. The social framework is extremely communal in nature with great importance being attached to the family, village and the land, which is also known as ‘vauna'. The chiefs of the villages exercise enormous powers over the common villagers. No individual family owns lands; they offer them to the chief of the village for farming purposes. The ‘bures' or houses in Fiji are built next to each other and do not have any boundaries or fences between each other. Usually, the women do most of the household work, while men are engaged in fishing and other activities. ‘Yavusa' is known as the largest Fijian social unit.

One of the popular methods of cooking in Fiji still remains to be the earth oven, known as the ‘lovo'. The typical delicacies of Fijians include rice, fish, yams, taro and cassava. Tea during breakfast is drunk from tin bowls along with the leftovers of rice from the previous night's dinner.

The typical ‘Yaqona' drinking, an essential part of the Fijian culture is a popular leisure activity while chatting over a bowl of ‘kava'. It is used for welcoming guests, consolidating bonds and during story telling sessions.

Some of the other traditional aspects that mark the cultural heritage of Fiji include bark cloth textiles with rust colored and black printed designs, which is also known as ‘masi' or ‘tapa'. These are typically preserved for special occasions. Hand woven leaf mats and baskets are used by the natives as floor coverings for dining, decorating and sleeping. These items are also used as gifts for funerals and baptism. Most Fijians learn the craft as a legacy handed over from their parents. The traditional folk music and Meke dance also add to the multi-dimensional culture of Fiji.

A. Music

Fiji is considered to be Polynesian in character although geographically, the island is Melanesian. However, the folk music of Fiji is believed to be a combination of the Melanesian and Polynesian traditions. The church music dominates the folk music of this island. The major instruments used in Fijian folk music are ukulele, guitar and mandolin including the ‘lali' drums, typically used to assemble the people of one particular area and ‘derua', which are originally bamboo tubes that are stamped on the ground or on mats. The traditional Fijian folk dances include ‘Meke' which is performed when the dancers are possessed by spirits and ‘dele', which is performed to sexually humiliate the enemy prisoners.

Fijian pop music is also quite popular with the island producing pan-Pacific stars such as Lagani Rabukawaqa and Laisa Vulakoro. The latter is particularly known for the creation of ‘vude' a style combining a variety of music styles that include disco, rock and roll, country music and the traditional music of the island. Some other popular pop bands of Fiji include The Black Roses and The Freelancers.

B. Language

Though the official language of Fiji is English, Fijian and Hindustani are also commonly spoken by the natives. The Hindustani, an Indian language, is known as ‘Fiji Bat' or ‘Fiji Talk' and is slightly different from the original Indian language that is spoken in India. The Fijian language has some typicalities of its own that are reflected in its phonetics. The ‘b' in Fijian language, is pronounced with an ‘m' sound before it and the ‘q' is generally pronounced with an ‘ngg' sound as the word ‘yaqona' may be pronounced as ‘yanggona'. The English spoken here include words and phrases borrowed from Hindustani, Fijian and other ethnic languages. Apart from English that was introduced by the British, Hindustani is the main language of the Indo Fijians, while the ethnic Fijians speak Bau Fijian. The constitution has prescribed all the three languages as official and as a result, the Fijians are free to communicate in any of these languages while dealing with government agencies. Travelers are advised to take the help of an interpreter that can be supplied on request.

C. Religious Practices

Most of the native Fijians are Christians (52%) with the Roman Catholics and Methodists predominating the Christian population. The Indian population comprise mostly of Hindus (33%) and Muslims (7%), although Sikhs and Christians are also found here. Fiji also has Chinese residents who are mostly Buddhist or Christian. The Fijian constitution has granted freedom of religion and Fijian citizens often celebrate and enjoy festivals irrespective of their own religious affiliations. However, it must be said that the lives and customs of Fijian citizens are deeply influenced by religion.

D. Major Events

January

The New Year's Day is celebrated with a lot of festivities by the Fijians. These celebrations last for a week and in some villages, they even continue for months.

February

The month of February celebrates the Hindu festival in which people use colored waters to splash on one another.

March, April, May, June, July, August

The birth of Lord Rama is celebrated during March or April, which involves a huge religious celebration on the Suva Bay. Also, the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammed (a Muslim festival) is celebrated in May and on the 1st Monday of June. Ratu Sir Lalu Sukuna, the greatest statesman, scholar, high chief and soldier of Fiji, is honored with a public holiday to commemorate his contribution. This day is made colorful with a number of regional games and cultural shows.

The Constitution Day is celebrated in July by observing a holiday. The Hibiscus Festival marks the carnival celebration of Fiji in the month of August.

September, October, November

The month of September celebrates the Sugar Festival at Lautoka while early October observes Fiji Day, the independence day of Fiji. The Hindu festival Diwali, which is also known as the festival of lights is celebrated in November when the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi, is worshipped in Hindu homes. All houses are decorated with lights on this occasion.

The Muslim festival Eid is also celebrated around the same period after a 30 days fasting observed by the Muslims.

December

Fiji celebrates Christmas with a lot of pomp and festivities.

The Chinese New Year is celebrated by the Chinese community in Fiji to welcome the arrival of spring and pray for a peaceful and prosperous new year.

E. Etiquettes / Dos & Don'ts

Dos

Carry a small gift for the chief in case you are invited to eat or stay in a village.

Keep your shoulders covered while visiting the villages.

Maintain courtesy and politeness while interacting with people.

Show respect for the elderly.

It is better to have a direct communication with the resort or hotel that you are planning to stay in rather than relying on travel agents.

Don'ts

Do not wear hats and sunglasses while visiting Fijian villages. Only the village chiefs are allowed to do so.

Do not point at others with your hands, feet or fingers.

Do not touch others heads or hair.