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EveryParampara

Traditions of Suva

The capital of Fiji, where the kava ceremony, the lovo feast and Diwali all belong to the year.

Suva is the capital of Fiji and the largest city in the South Pacific islands. Indigenous iTaukei and Indo-Fijian communities live side by side, so Diwali and Fiji Day sit next to Christmas and chief's ceremonies. Respect for chiefs and elders, and the kava ceremony, anchor the island's hospitality.

Suva: Suva, Fiji
Photo: Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kava and community

A kava ceremony, called a sevusevu when presented to a village, involves offering the root to the chief, who accepts it with clapping. Kava is mixed with water in a wooden bowl, the tanoa, and drunk in a coconut shell cup. Meke dance, with song and spears, tells village stories. Diwali and Holi are public celebrations among Indo-Fijians.

At the table

A lovo is an earth oven in which fish, pork, chicken and root crops, such as cassava, are cooked in banana leaves and coconut cream. Kokoda, raw fish marinated in coconut milk and lime, is a favourite, and Indian curries, roti and sweet treats such as gulab jamun are common. The Suva market sells kava, cassava and fruit.

Signature traditions of Suva

MekeThe Fijian dance.

Also part of it, and being written: Kava culture (The kava drinking ritual.), Lovo (The earth oven.), Kokoda (The Fijian raw fish dish.).

A trail idea for Suva

  1. Suva Municipal Market See piles of kava and dalo.
  2. Fiji Museum See old canoes and carvings.
  3. Thurston Gardens A shady park near the harbour.
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇫🇯 Suva, FijiRatu Sir Lala Sukuna Day An annual Fijian civic observance commemorating statesman Ratu Sir Lala SukunaCeremony

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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