Did You Know

Interesting Facts about Fiji

Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about Fiji.

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Did You Know?

14 curious facts about Fiji.

The International Date Line crosses the Fiji islands. This imaginary line marks the change from one day to the next. The Date Line swings around to the east of the islands, so that the whole country can be in the same time zone.
During hurricane season (November to April), people prepare for violent storms when they see birds flying inland. In 1985, four cyclones hit Fiji, causing severe damage. Cyclone Kina in 1993 and Hurricane Gavin in 1997 also devastated parts of the country.
Cakobau's finest war club, called “Blood-Bather,” is used as the ceremonial mace in the Fijian Parliament. It has been embossed with silver.
In indigenous Fijian villages, the families of a bride and groom bring food such as taro or yams, and goods such as bolts of cloth or drums of kerosene. At a Hindu wedding, guests present the couple with clothes, dishes, household linens and money.

For business, many indigenous Fijian men combine traditional and Western-style clothing. They wear a jacket, shirt, and tie over a dark grey sulu (a wraparound skirt worn by both men and women).
Ecowoman is a conservation project that brings indigenous Fijian women together with professional women in the fields of science and technology to share knowledge and discuss ways to improve the economy without damaging the environment.
Although golf is mainly a tourist sport in Fiji, one of the nation's best-known athletes is a golf star. Vijay Singh won the 2000 Masters Tournament.
Kava, Fiji's most popular drink, has medicinal properties and is often prescribed as a diuretic. Too much kava-drinking, however, can lead to health problems such as kanikani, in which the skin becomes scaly and rough.
For centuries, chants and songs have taught children about their history and mythology. Today, primary school children sometimes chant their English lessons in chorus.
Two nights a year, in October and November, the balolo (a small marine worm) rises to the ocean's surface to mate. Villagers go out at sunrise to scoop them up. They soak the worms in fresh water, then cook them overnight in a lovo.