The Fijian cultures in the city and in the villages are quite different. The same can be said of Indian cultures in the capital city of Suva , in the towns, and in the rural areas. Indo-Fijians are usually Hindu and Muslim. Indigenous Fijians are usually Catholic, Methodist, or Protestant evangelicals. Religion plays a very important role in all these cultures.

Among both men and women in the villages, a raised, spread-fingered wave of the hand is common, with the greeting “bula” (hello) from noon until bedtime, and “yandra” (good morning) before noon. It might also be a raised cane knife, as village men head off to work in the fields. In a city or town setting, a simple “bula” or “hello” suffices. “Hello” would be the common greeting from an Indo-Fijian in a town or city.

Men greeting Men – Many indigenous Fijian men will grasp a foreign man’s hand with a one-shake downward motion, then hold onto the hand while talking. Indo-Fijians (Hindus and Muslims) don’t tend shake hands unless they now you or have had a lot of exposure to Westerners/Europeans. The Hindus will say “Namaste” (I salute the Divine within you), bowing slightly with hands in prayer position in front of their face. Normally, a Muslim will not touch your hand, but if they know you and are used to working around you, they too will shake your hand.   Within the Fijian culture, men will do the same handshake if they are colleagues or at a similar status, but they won’t shake hands with someone of a different age or at a different social level. They might nod and say “bula” instead. 

If a Hindu knows what deity the other person worships, he or she will greet with the name of that deity – for example, “Hare Krishna,” “Ram Ram,” or “Sai Baba.” If they don’t know the other person’s belief, they will say “Namaskar,” which means essentially the same thing as Namaste. Muslims will say “Salaam alei kum” (peace be with you), but generally only to another Muslim or to someone who says it to them first, whether it’s an indigenous Fijian or a foreigner.

Women greeting Women - Fijian women greeting other Fijian women will often kiss the air next to the other person’s cheek. If they respect the person deeply, it’s a sign of respect to put their nose close to other person’s cheek and nose, and breathe in. If they know you as a Westerner, they may hug you briefly and kiss the air next to your cheek as well.  Indo-Fijian women will greet each other with “Namaskar” and sometimes a brief hug. They may greet a foreign woman in this manner if they know and respect you.

Greetings between Men & Women – A Fijian man greeting a foreign woman might shake your hand if they know you well. If they don’t know you well, the handshake will be brief and quite shy. A Fijian woman greeting a foreign man would usually juts say Hello or Bula.  Within the indigenous Fijian culture, a man will barely acknowledge a Fijian woman if she belongs to certain villages or is from certain islands. If they share certain other geographic links, they can tease each other relentlessly, whether they are married nor not.  Men and women, if not married to each other, will not move in the same direction together. If going to the same place, the women will often walk behind the men.

Note: Indo-Fijians will be very surprised and pleased if you say a few words in Hindi or Urdu, such as Namaste, Ram Ram, Salaam alei kum, or Dhanyavad (thank you in Hindi). This courtesy goes a long way toward establishing friendship and creating a relationship of deep respect.