Local traditions and culture in French Polynesia

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The reputation of Tahiti and the Polynesian islands is unbeatable in terms of hospitality !
We experienced it in each of the 3 islands we visited.

First of all, you receive a tiaré flower on the moment you step into the plane.
Then a local band of musicians playing the ukulele is waiting for you at the airport, whatever time you land !
Your tour operator will then put a flower necklace around your neck.
And when you leave, you receive another necklace...made of shells this time.

Such thoughtful little attentions that make Tahiti an even more special destination...

The Heiva is a traditional festival held in July in every island of French Polynesia.

This huge event is a celebration of Polynesian culture through various contests and historical reenactments.

Each town or district sends its team of traditional dancers and singers dressed in traditional Tahitian costumes to take part in the dance and song contests.

Other competitions imply more sportive activities like outtrigger canoe races, stone-lifting, colourful fruit-carrier races, coconut tree climbing, or javelin-throwing (competitors try to reach a coconut placed at a height of 7.50 m).

Other artists compete in the field of handicraft : weaving, hat-making, copra-making,...

"Heiva" is actually the tahitian word for "party"… and indeed a wave of joy and happiness invade the streets during that period !

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everybody wears flowers behind the ears one side means your married the other means your single ! very usefull , but i could ever remember which side was which !
these flowers tiare or frangipani make the islands smell lovly,and another tradition that comes from this is monoi oil !tahitians use it all the time especially the women !its fab for conditioning hair ,nails ,cuticles ,moisturiser, bath oil,sunsceen, insect bites ,cuts ,etc !
a big thing is black pearls absolutly everybody has them !at first i just thought they looked like metal balls ,but after a while of being in the area and knowing how they are made i grew to love them ! i worked on the ship which had fab pearls on it by a very good designer in moorea ,but a bit out my price range ! after chatting to the jewelers i got to know what to look for in agood pearl ! i got all mine from Tahiti pearl market 25,rue Colette.quite near the market !it has 3 floors-the ground floor has the most perfect pearls,the brightest colours,but very expensive the next floor is slightly cheaper and the top floor is the cheapest where you can get different shapes sizes etc the shop assistants are very friendlt and help you buy the right pearls for you whatever your budget!its fun as you can sit for hours at a table and pick your own pearls,even get free drinks 1 i got 4 different necklaces made here which i designed myself and they make it for you then and there for free ! i chose them with a slight imperfecttion where i wanted it to be drilled as it wouldnt be seen anyway ! i thought there is no point buying a perfect shape pearl when its only going to have a big hole drilled through it ! so thats a good way to save money !
another tradition is tattoos ! tahiti is the very birthplace of tattoos, men ,women even children have them ,traditionally it was used to rank socail groups and to mark different stages in life !each mark or symbol has a meaning
and of course polynesion dancing is a big tradition !

The Polynesians invented tattooing - the process of 'hammering' ink under the skin to leave pictures or artistic designs.

It is very common for Polynesians to have tattoos, and they do not have any stigma associated with them like they do in some places in the West.

If you want a Polynesian tattoo, it is very easy to get one done with several places such as the Tiki Village offering the service. At the Tiki Village you can see them using the age old process of how they used to tattoo with a hammer. The name tattoo comes from the sound the hammer made as it tapped the dyes into the skin - "ta-tu ta-tu ta-tu".

Polynesians love flowers, and both genders like wearing them. If you are visiting Polynesia, it is well worth being aware of the meaning of a flower tucked behind somebodies ear.

If you wear a flower behind your left ear, it means you are taken. If on the other hand you wear a flower behind your right ear, it means you are available to the opposite sex (or perhaps to the same sex, or perhaps to both sexes...).

However you can have the best of both worlds, by wearing a flower behind both ears. This means that you are taken, but that you are also available.

So depending on what sort of holiday you want to have, you may wish to stock up on flowers when you get there! They tend to wilt pretty quickly in the heat...

The majority of the people living in French Polynesia are the Maohi people, commonly referred to as Tahitians.

Next to the Tahitians, there are, of course, a lot of French people who came from France to work or live on the islands.

The "Demi" are the mixed blood.

The official language is French, but most people speak "Reo Maohi" among themselves.

Tahiti Beach Press is a magazine in English that is published monthly and distributed to visitors through the hotels. It gives some good tips and what there is to do on the different islands and, of course, the necessary ads for local restaurants, guesthouses, hotels and shops.

PK = poste kilometre, the number of kilometers from the mairie (town hall) or post office.

When you are driving around the islands you will see the kilometer markers on the mountainside of the road. The markers are usually red-capped whited painted stone or concrete markers with the kilometer number painted in black on two sides. Many places use the PK markers as their address.