Tongan Bride Had Hectic Pre-Wedding Buying Trip

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27907, 2 March 1956, Page 2

Tongan Bride Had Hectic Pre-Wedding Buying Trip

NEWS FOR WOMEN

A shopping expedition for a Tongan bride-to-be who has £5 to spend can be as exhausting as a trousseau hunt by a sophisticated European girl. in response to an inquiry by the lady sditor of “The Press’’ about Tongan wedding customs, a former wellknown Christchurch girl, who is now Sister Felicia at the convent of Mu’a. Tonga, tells the story of the 13-mile trip to the metropolis of Nukualofa, and of the purchases of articles required by a bride-to-be, Losa, who had no parents and who had been Living at the convent. “Losa would be married next Wednesday, so could not go about inadequately chaperoned, and to accompany her was my welcome responsibility,” said the writer.

“The bridegroom-to-be had been told what he must provide—the house and its flooring, kitchen, toilet, tubs, and a big cooking pot. Both young people would contribute what bedding they could, and the bride-to-be would take to her new home the pillowcases she had embroidered with flamboyant flowers. Mattress and pillows are not a great problem, for the kapoc grows plentifully. Losa had already made her brooms with coconut-leaf ribs, and one brother had given her a charcoal iron. Household Purchases “In the first round of shopping, we obtained a frying pan for 10s 9d; a washing board for 15s, a knife, fork, and spoon for 8s 2d. two cups and saucers for 2s 8d each, and a large vegetable knife for 3s 6d,” said Sister Felicia. “A cousin who accompanied the bride-to-be bought a towel for herself for 17s. “On the second round we got two plates at 2s 6d each, a very nice saucepan for 21s 7d, a big kitchen spoon for about 2s 6d, and a small enamel basin for 2s 2d. No mixing bowls were available, so the basin would have to serve the purpose. No kettle was obtainable. There was still 24s 4d of the money left The bride couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than a kettle, so decided to wait until one was available.

“On the way home the bride purchased (on account) another three yards (at 5s 9d a yard) of her wedding dress material to make the vala or underskirt which reaches to the ankles, and some lace for trimming at 2s 4d a yard.”

No pretty buttons could be found, but two days later a gift parcel arrived from Christchurch—sent to Sister Felicia by a woman who was a close friend when both were members of the Christchurch Business and Professional Women’s Club. In the parcel was a piece of lace material just sufficient for a yoke and a lace flower to give the last touch of elegance to the bridal frock. Tongan Prices “Some of the prices of goods I have quoted may cause envy among New Zealand shoppers,” said Sister Felicia in her letter. “The goods come from England, and the duty may be lower

than in New Zealand. But I’m not going to tell you -about the price of food from Australia and New Zealand, nor about the things we can’t ° “By now you should be able to work out something of what Losa s housekeeping will be like. The big cooking pot will be for the groundfood—yams. green bananas, taro, and tapioca. The nice little saucepan will be for making a soupo (soup) when the couple can afford a treat tinned corned beef made into a sauce with water, onions, flour, and perhaps a dash of curry. Or it may be used for making topai (dumplings) of flour and water sweetened with sugar, or vai siaine (boiled ripe bananas). The fry-ing-pan will accommodate the occasional fish, or make fried cakes of flour and water. Lard will be obtained when they have some precious pork. “Because Losa is rather delicate and has been used to a plain breakfast in the morning, they might have hot •tea' (water with plenty of sugar) and bread or cabin biscuits. The usual thing is only two meals a day—about 10 in the morning and anything after 4 in the afternoon.” . On the way home the writer called at the dentist’s to collect her charge, who had been sent there earlier. The dentist’s wife —Mrs Wingfield—is a former Christchurch girl, formerly Myra Goodrick. “We got up to date on family news and movement of friends, and even hats, for because of the Pope’s modern ideas on such things, we are going to haye new bonnets. too,” said Sister Felicia. After making arrangements for the bread lorry to pick them up for the 13-mile drive back to the convent, the writer and the bride-to-be and her cousin walked back to Nukualofa along the waterfront.

On their return to Mu’a, the shoppers were given a rousing welcome with a Girl Guide song which pupils had learnt recently. “Little Actual Courtship” “There is little actual courtship in present-day Tonga. Usually a marriage is arranged between the parents, or else it is a runaway affair —sometimes nice, sometimes nasty,” said Sister Felicia. “Almost always there is contention of some kind. “Often the girl or the boy is captured by the family before the marriage can take place. Sometimes the capture takes place between the obtaining of the licence, which both parties must attend, and the church ceremony, and then the licence has to be returned. “On the other hand, parents often force their children to marry fur worldly considerations. It is rarely that they have the courage of one 16-year-old girl who said ‘yes’ to the registrar, but dared a second beating, and said ‘no’ when the priest wisely interviewed her alone. A convent girl (one of the very few who stay on after school age to teach) can enjoy more normal courtship under what are for her very privileged conditions.” said Sister Felicia.