Colors of Manihi - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

People of Manihi are open, really kind and a little bit modest. Despite the many centuries of being ruled by Europeans, people have never forgotten their traditions and been honouring ancestors' spirits. All in all, locals have a controversial about Frenchmen. Some inhabitants want more freedom and autonomy and live in their own way, the others are proud of being a French citizen and happy to have those possibilities that it provides. Nevertheless, people treat tourists from all over the globe quite friendly but also kind of cautiously. Locals usually never start communication themselves, and still, they’re actually glad that someone is sincerely interested in their customs and traditions. People here on the island believe that not just people but also spirits which accompany humans during their whole lives meet each other as well.

The majority of locals speak more or less French, but when it comes to English, only those who constantly communicate with tourists can speak it. Unfortunately, there are not many such people here on a small Manihi. People use mana in their speech pretty often. It’s a Polynesian word meaning «inner strength». Mana can be translated in everything – life force, beauty, mind, independence, charisma. It depends on the context. For instance, they can say «they have a mana» meaning understanding of some eternal truth.

It’s peculiar that local are mostly Orthodox. Just 15% of the Manihi’s population are Protestants or Catholics. Religious holidays are especially significant for the local culture. For example, they celebrate Christmas greatly, and local kids believe in Santa Claus who travels not by reindeers but a canoe and get inside houses through windows. Locals celebrate Easter, The ascension of Jesus and Halloween too. Moreover, the day when English missionaries came to the island on 5th March 1797 is also a very significant event. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Christianity perfectly exists here together with local beliefs in the spirits of the dead. People here on the island strongly believe that deceased relatives keep on looking after their descendants and can even get into contact with them in particular circumstances. Instituted of tattoos has been rising in the last decades as a traditional one for Polynesians. People of Manihi sure that tattoos allow you to govern your mana. That is why it’s rather impossible to find a person here with no tattoos.

The great majority of locals are in family relations. Family is extremely significant for local inhabitants, not just parents and kids but also cousins and other distant relatives are considered to be close ones. Fetia is a Polynesian term that defines a big family. Everybody in fetia is connected with each other with mutual obligations. For example, there is a tradition to bring kids with no parents to childless women.

In spite of the division of labour that had been exiting here for centuries, women role is much more significant than men one. It’s the woman who assigns responsibilities and makes important decisions here on the island. An attitude to marriage is also really interesting. People on Manihi, as well as on any other Polynesian island, can either get married with all the rituals and celebration or just live together and be loyal to each other, in both ways two people will be considered in society as husband and wife.

Local don’t really enjoy responsibilities. They would rather choose to enjoy every day and not to worry about all those deadlines. Made it today – good, not – also good. People here hugely celebrate Chinese New Year, European Victory Day, French National Day, and their own Independence Day. You’ll be able to see diverse colourful rituals as well as dancing performances of native Polynesians not just once or even twice. If you want to find out more about local culture, then the Heiva Festival is perfect for it. It takes place in the first week of July.