Fijians raise their eyebrows as a way of saying yes 

Suppose you are going to attend a destination wedding function on the islands of Fiji and you scrolled down your car window to ask a passer-by if you were headed in the right direction. You ask the guy a simple question, “Does this road go to ‘Trivia Gardens’ (the venue)? In reply, he simply raises his eyebrows. What would you make out of it? Well, you may find it rude or assume that he did not understand your question.  

But actually, it is neither of that. The guy just said ‘yes’ to you. Though incredibly confusing to most outsiders, many Fijians raise their eyebrows as a non-verbal way to say “yes”. 

Why do Fijians use facial gestures? 
In the Fijian method of communication, words are not as important as the context around them. They often use facial gestures instead of speaking and will raise their eyebrows in response to your question. The response may mean ‘yes’ but if you have asked a direct question, it may also mean ‘good question’. Funny, right? 

But there is a reason why they do that! Fijians will not respond to a direct question in the way you might expect. They are more concerned with keeping the relationship intact. So they will sometimes say what they think you want to hear. And therefore, the word “no” is rarely used in Fiji.  

Therefore, choosing how you word your questions, and giving more than one choice will help you both communicate effectively. 

Curious customs  

• Wherever you are, you will be greeted with a smile and Bula”, the Fijian word for ‘Hello’ meaning life.  
• Be prepared to remove shoes when entering a home or church. 
• When you first enter a house, sit on the floor unless offered a chair. 
• For the fashion conscious, wearing a hat and sunglasses and carrying bags over your shoulder in a Fijian village is a big no-no.
• Fijian people use the phrase ‘tulou’ (pronounced too-low) whenever you are passing in front or behind someone or if you reach over their heads to get something. 
• Very traditional villages do not allow shouting in the village.  
• Do not touch a Fijian person on the head, as the head is sacred! 

Language and attire  
Fiji is made up of 333 islands, with 223 of them being uninhabited. Fiji was colonised by the British between 1874 and 1970. Between 1879 and 1916 they gave 600,000 Indians free passage to Fiji in exchange for work on the sugarcane plantations. Therefore, currently, about 30% of Fiji's population is of Indian descent, making Fijian, Hindi and English the three official languages in the country. 

Attire in Fiji is generally casual, though for women in particular it is very modest. Fijian women wear a sarong or “sulu”. Sulus must be worn long, at least below the knees, preferably to the ankles. It is also important to cover your shoulders, so clothing with no sleeves and low necklines are avoided. 

Fiji facts  

• Cannibalism was once a common practice among Fijians. Fear not though, thanks to King Ratu Cakobau, who ended this in 1871. 
• Strange but true: It is possible to be in two different time zones at the same time when on the island of Taveuni because Fiji is spread across the international dateline.