A Kava Ceremony

Te Ao Hou, November 1964, Page 6

A Kava Ceremony On the Saturday evening we witnessed a kava ceremony. All the boys aged from 15 to 20 were sitting cross-legged on the verandah, just sipping a little of the kava, being served once every half-hour or so. There was beautiful singing. They were really enjoying themselves. By this time I had learnt quite a lot about Tonga. Tonga is an independent kingdom under the protection of Great Britain. Queen Salote, who has reigned since 1918, rules with the aid of Parliament and a Privy Council. The Parliament is made up of the elected representatives of the people, of the Chiefs and of the Nobles. All male Tongans over 21 may vote, but women do not yet have the vote. At the age of 17 each man receives a holding of eight acres, which he cultivates himself. They grow plants such as yams, kumaras, pineapples and breadfruit, also copra and bananas, their main exports. When a Tongan man dies, his land belongs to the Crown again. Everyone goes to church. The Queen is the spiritual as well as the temporal head of her people, being head of the Free Wesleyan Church, the state religion of Tonga. The main church holds 1,400 people, and is so big that it could be a cathedral. On Sunday everyone dresses up and no unnecessary work is done. There is no bathing in the sea, no cooking inside, and no fishing. No one is allowed to land in Tonga on a Sunday. The men are supposed to prepare the meals. They go for walks and visit one another.