Colors of Nadi - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Despite the fact that Nadi is a pretty modern city and the locals are very loyal to the European traditions, they are distinguished by the respect for the traditions of their ancestors. Thus, in everyday life a family can gather together at a dinner table, and on holidays the locals usually follow special gastronomic traditions. It is believed that the owners of a house must first feed the guests, and only then join the meal. During the family celebrations men are the first ones who sit at the table and women join the feast later. It is worth noting that the term “dining table" is very relative here. Many people prefer to replace it with small mats, which they spread on the floor.

When it comes to the look, everything here is pretty simple – the so called “sulu” skirt is popular among both men and women. Many tourists consider such clothes quite extravagant for men, but the local residents have accustomed to Sulu long ago and even wear in at work. Those, who prefer the European standards, are free to wear pants, which are also considered a common and everyday clothing here. The local residents have already got accustomed to a large number of tourists and foreigners, so they are very tolerant to the look of visitors. You should only select your clothes carefully if you plan to make a walk to the remote areas of the city or to the countryside. In this case your clothes should be very modest - swimwear and sports clothing should be worn in the appropriate places only.

The rules concerning wearing hats are very strict in the countryside, so you will have to make a trip without your favorite hat. The reason for his is in the fact for the locals a hat is the prerogative of the leader. Only selected people can wear hats. Passion to dance is another striking feature of the national character. All holidays are usually accompanied by enchanting performances of dance groups. Dancing is common for different occasions. It is an essential part of wedding celebrations and birthday parties, after a successful business deal and in honor of a newborn child. One of the most popular holidays deeply loved by both citizens and tourists takes place in the middle of October. It is called the Day of Fiji. During three days Nadi becomes the location of interesting events, exhibitions and fairs. The city is always full of visitors during this time of a year. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In Nadi, as well as on all the Fiji islands peacefully coexist different cultures and traditions. Such Christian holidays as Christmas and Easter, as well as the Indian festival of Diwali, gained national importance here. The ceremony of drinking Yangon is a local festive and ritual tradition, which is necessarily used during very important events. Participants of the ceremony sit around the tanoa - ritual wicker or wooden ball and drink the traditional local beverage of kava. The officially appointed elder grinds the dried root of the Yangon plant and prepares this traditional drink. After the guest or leader takes the first sip, beat with kava, which is a bowl of half a coconut, is refilled and passed from hand to hand. Only after the beat bypasses all the guests, the official part of the ceremony is finished and the feast with dancing, singing or other "non-protracted" events begin.

Do not miss the colorful religious ritual of walking on the fire and the colorful show of traditional songs and dances. Walking on burning coals is not just a traditional ceremony but a unique ritual that can only be observed on the nearby island of Beqa. According to legend, the ancient god of the Fijians sacrificed his life to endow the Great Leader of Dakuibeqa and all his descendants with such a unique ability as fire. When the flame of the fire begins to fade, the soldiers of the village of Dakuibeqa rake out the coals, under which the stones are hidden, for several hours warmed up in a raging fire. First, the soldiers praise the fire with ritual chants, and then, in the eyes of the shocked tourists, they step on their flaming stones with their bare feet. Walking around the fire is not just a few quick steps on the hot stones. Dakuibeqa warriors can even freeze in one place without any damage to the skin of their feet.