local conditions and customs
Fiji
The name of the country originated from the Tongan word for "island" and changed to the Fiji word for "Viti". People lived there as early as 1500 BC. In 1643, Dutch navigator Abel Jansson Tasman first arrived in Fiji. [1] Europeans began to immigrate in the 19th century. In 1874, it became a British colony. From 1879 to 1916, Britain recruited a large number of Indian laborers to settle in Fiji. [1] On October 10, 1970, it gained independence and became a member of the Commonwealth. In 1987, it was renamed the Republic and separated from the Commonwealth. In 1990, a new constitution was passed to establish the country's name as the Fiji Sovereign Democratic Republic. Joined the Commonwealth again in 1997. In 1998, the country was renamed the Republic of the Fiji Islands. In 2009, the country was renamed the Republic of Fiji.
language:
The Constitution of Fiji stipulates that three official languages are English, Fijian, and Hindustani. Among them, English was introduced by British colonizers, Hindustan is the main language of the Indian ethnic group residing in Fiji, and Fijian is the native language of Fiji. According to the Constitution of Fiji, citizens of Fiji have the right to use any of these languages to communicate with government agencies, and if necessary, the government should promptly provide translators. Due to the British colonial rule of Fiji for over a hundred years, English has become the most commonly used language among the indigenous and Indian communities of Fiji. Communication between different ethnic groups is generally in English, and government agencies, educational institutions, financial and legal institutions also generally use English as the main language.
Fiji language is the ethnic language of Fiji and belongs to the Austronesian language family. It is closer to the Melanesian language belonging to the same Austronesian language family, but due to long-term contact with the Polynesian ethnic group, it is also influenced by the Tonga language in the Malay Polynesian language family.
Hindustan is the main language spoken by Indian ethnic groups and Muslims who believe in Islam living in Fiji. There are certain differences between Hindi and Urdu languages spoken in the Indian subcontinent, but the differences do not hinder mutual communication. For information on the Hindu language used in Fiji, please refer to the Hindu language of Fiji.
In addition to the three official languages mentioned above, Fiji also has many other languages. Many dialects in the western part of the country differ greatly from the official Mandarin (Bau Standard) and can even be considered as another language. In addition, many Indians in Fiji also speak Tamil in addition to Hindustan. There are also a few who speak Bihari, Bengali, and other languages. On the island of Rotuma in the country, Rotuma language (a type of Polynesian language) is mainly used.
custom:
Many traditional customs still exist on the island of Fiji, such as the magical singing ceremony of calling fish schools from the deep sea to the shallow sea for easy capture, the traditional arson ceremony, and so on. These are all mysterious traditions that still exist in Fiji today.
Fijian tribe, Vito Dou tribe girls hold their bar mitzvah and suffer from the bite of ants. This means that the locals hope they can withstand the pain and also unite like ants. And Tikuna girls are required to cut off all their hair at the rite of passage, leaving only a small pinch of hair on top of their heads, in order to express their inheritance, and that strand of hair serves as a bridge to connect with their ancestors. At the same time, there are ethnic people playing drums and singing on the edge. Then a dedicated person will pass a needle through the girl's ear to leave an ear hole. In order to prevent the baby from spending the adult ceremony safely in the future, it is also possible to wear an ear hole in advance as parents' hope for their child's happy life in the future.
taboo:
In Fiji villages, there is a special rule that prohibits wearing hats or touching children's heads. Only village leaders have the privilege to wear hats; Touching someone else's head is the greatest humiliation to them, and if it had been more than 100 years ago, it could have led to murder. In 1867, a British missionary was hacked alive and cooked by angry natives for taking a comb from the head of a local chieftain. The Fijian people have fully entered modern civilization, but the custom of not touching others' heads remains.
