Fara is a traditional Rotuma

Rotuma

Rotuma is a Fijian dependency, consisting of Rotuma Island and nearby islets. The island group is home to a small but unique indigenous ethnic group which constitutes a recognizable minority within the population of Fiji, known as "Rotumans"...

n cultural and social event, occurring in the summertime festival of “av’ manea” (“party time” in Rotuman

Rotuman language

Rotuman, also referred to as Rotunan, Rutuman or Fäeag Rotuma, is an Austronesian language spoken by the indigenous people of the South Pacific island group of Rotuma, an island with a Polynesian-influenced culture that was incorporated as a dependency into the Colony of Fiji in 1881...

) where groups of singers and dancers traverse from house to house in a prescribed area to perform and entertain their hosts, “asking”, as the name suggests, for their hospitality and participation.

Manea’ hune’ele, the forerunner to fara

It is believed that fara traces its roots back to the “manea’ hune’ele” (beach parties) of old, where young people would picnic at the beach from late afternoon through night-time, singing, dancing and making-merry. For young people it was primarily undertaken as a carefree environment in which they could spend time with prospective partners without the prying eyes of a normal close-knit Rotuman community. However, the politically powerful churches, particularly the Methodist Church, fearing the rise in immoral behaviour resulting from such licentious escapades, and family’s fears of loss of the socially important virginity

Virginity

Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...

 (girls were expected to be married with their virginity intact, attracting a higher bride-price in traditional betrothals) sparked calls to end the practice of manea’ hune’ele. According to research, in the search to replace the tradition, the practice of fara was created, providing a more wholesome way for the young to court.

Modern-day fara

Modern fara involves groups of performers of varying size, often travelling in village or sometimes even district-sized groups. Once at a particular house or hall, they begin dancing and singing, accompanied by guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

s, drums

Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

 and ukulele

Ukulele

The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....

, and invite the hosts to join in. In return the recipients of this entertainment give the performers food and drink, (usually fruit and cordial) and enact the “nau te”, an unceremonious tradition of sprinkling performers (in all Rotuman social environments) with perfume or talcum powder. This historically involved home-made turmeric, but the easier western alternatives now hold precedence.

Fara season is considered the highlight of the year for Rotuman people the world over. It is common for groups of Rotuman individuals who have spread across the globe through diaspora, to return to the island at av’ mane’a and participate in the festivities. It is said that the island’s population often doubles at fara time, as compared to the mid-year numbers, as a result of the popularity of the fara.