Top 5 Cultural Experiences in Vanuatu
Posted by Maris on 6th May 2024
The Ni Vanuatu people have been performing their traditional dances and ceremonies for decades. They are very spiritual events with cultural significance that remains strong for the people even today.
Make sure to schedule time to explore some of the outer island culture wherever you go in Vanuatu. These are our top five picks.
Take in the Black Magic and Fanla/Rom Dance Festival.
The Rom Dance in Fanla, one of the oldest communities on the island of Ambrym, will enthrall you. Twenty men wearing ceremonial masks will welcome you on the dance floor, known as nasara, where they will stomp, sing, and laugh. They set the rhythm with instruments fashioned from bamboo and tree stumps.
The dancers are not permitted to cease dancing while they are wearing their tatabe masks, which symbolize mobility. During the dance, they are led by their Chiefs and other senior warriors, but occasionally the dancers become uncontrollably animated by the spirit of the mask. Consider the masks as a portal, allowing the spirits of the ancestors to enter and reside in the present era. It's an impressive sight.
You'll be served to a variety of refreshments (fresh fruit from the nearby trees) after watching the Rom dance. In addition, you'll be able to observe weavers at work, take part in lava stone carving, buy local carvings, and witness magicians perform magic.
Witness the Pentecost Land Diving/Nagol Festival
See the age-old practice of land diving on Pentecost Island every Saturday from April through June. Observe men who have only a vine fastened to their feet as they fall to the ground from a 30-meter timber tower.
Why do this action? It sounds absurd! According to folklore, a woman had an argument with her husband and decided to flee by scaling the top of a neighboring banyan tree. She had cleverly fastened a vine around her ankle so that she could jump out of the tree and scare her husband silly when he ascended after her. This ritual is thought to produce a bountiful harvest of yams and has significant relation to crop fertility.
Women used to participate in this custom, but since they wear skirts, jumping off tall buildings would expose them to the elements. As a rite of passage, the action is now limited to men. However, women continue to be active! A significant portion of the event consists of their haunting music and dancing at the base of the tower. Additionally, tourists are not allowed to partake in the diving, so don't get your hopes up!
See the Rah Snake Dance in Wonder.
One of the most well-known cultural performances in all of Vanuatu is the Ra Snake Dance, which takes place on Ra Island in the Banks Islands Group in the country's extreme north. This is a male-only dance in which participants slick black and white paint on their bodies to resemble sea snakes. This seashore dance is quite distinctive; it involves people holding a leaf between their teeth, brandishing sticks decorated with fruit and feathers, and listening to a local string band. In Vanuatu, snakes have cultural connotations ranging from evil to morality. This is not a manifestation of contemporary Christian views on these topics; the custom dates back to the time of the missionaries.
It is advised that you wear black to this performance since the dancers may want you to join them, and the paint on their body may get on you.
Enjoy the Cultural Show of Futuna
The Futuna Cultural Show is an aesthetically pleasing spectacle that is sure to please. The incredibly detailed woven costumes, which have leg decorations of woven pandanus and nuts that produce a unique sound when the dancers stomp, were our favorite. A cultural event in a forest clearing, hosted by young people from the little island of Futuna who are concerned about improving their communities, gives you the opportunity to hear directly from Tafutuna warriors and learn from them.
It's difficult to get to Futuna Island, so if you find yourself on Tanna Island, make sure to visit the Futuna cultural experience and see the Futuna Dancers community.
In addition, there is a Futuna dance community that resides in Port Vila, the country's capital. If you are unable to travel south, you may frequently see them dancing at Breakas Resort.
Dance at the Nalawan Festival
Before the harvest season, the Small Nambas warriors of Malekula Island have gathered on Fire Beach for ages to worship and make offerings to the gods of their ancestors. The festival usually starts with the killing of a pig and lasts for two days. In Ni Vanuatu culture, this implies a lot of food, fire, and dance.
You won't see the Small Nambas traditional dance performed at festivals in Vanuatu or on stages on other islands because it is a dance that is exclusive to this region. The Small Nambas claim that you must visit them if you like to witness their dance and learn about their way of life.
The deeply cultural experiences derive from a belief system called "kastom," which is widely used in Vanuatu. The dances you might witness are but a portion of the kastom and are frequently prompted by noteworthy events like crop harvests, high ranking festivities, or rites of passage (circumcision is one example). They unite communities via shared celebrations, activities, meal sharing, and frequently, gift-giving. Many of the dances can be shared with visitors, while some are not influenced by travel and happen according to the cultural calendar, which changes year.