In Polynesia, flowers are a glorious ever-present part of our daily life, in our gardens and all around us.
Our Flowers… Where Paradise Begins
They are so diverse, abundant and colorful that they invite us to gather them for all sorts of uses – from decoration and personal adornment to the utilitarian.
Flowers to welcome you
Right from your airport arrival, you will enter into our world of flowers. There a hostess will present you with the traditional flower of welcome, the Tiare. Like your neighbors, you will tuck it behind your ear.
During the rest of your stay, the traditional garland necklace of flowers will often greet you.
Flowers to wear behind your ear
A flower worn behind your left ear signifies that you are not looking for company…. but, put it behind the right ear, and it means you are available…
Flowers for decoration
Flowers will add a touch to every occasion, whether laid out on tables or furniture or placed in a vase. Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Nonette and other varieties are used to decorate local fare (our houses) and hotels. On special occasions, coconut palm fronds and also Auti leaves are used for decoration and for camouflaging plain wooden supports. You will surely see them when you go out to dine or relax in one of our hotels.
Friday – a special flower day
It is our tradition to bring out flowers on Fridays. Even banks and offices will offer visitors Tiare flowers on that day. Both men and women will decorate their dresses, shirts etc with flowers but women especially will wear flowers that day and the markets will be filled with floral bouquets and crowns.
And now even artificial flowers
Nowadays it is not rare to see local vahine with artificial flowers in their hair. Women on the go find them easier to keep all day long!
Some varieties
The Tiare, a member of the gardenia family or Gardenia tahitensis, has become the symbol of Polynesia; you will find it used in company names, for logos (as for our national airline Air Tahiti Nui) and for all sorts of local products. The Tiare is used to perfume monoï oil from the coconut palm, in soaps and perfumes and even to flavor infusions.
Its special scent is appreciated everywhere and for some years now its essence has been delivered to the famous perfume makers of Grasse in France.
The Hibiscus flower has become another symbol of the South Seas and is the inspiration for a whole range of printed cloth designs, island shirts and house linen. It comes in all colors and sizes and you will see fine specimens growing along our roadsides, mountains and gardens and decorating homes and boats.
Bird of Paradise flowers, Opuhi and Porcelain Roses are widely used by Polynesian mamas in their various arrangements, not for their scent because they are odorless, but for their colorful splendor.
The flowers of Bougainvillea are so delicate they resemble silk paper and you will see them everywhere. They range in color from creamy beige to pale pink, from fuchsia to violet to orange…
At the end of your stay, leave time to pop into the fare of the mamas at the airport, where, if you are not staying in the USA, you can buy a packet of Tiare flowers to take home.
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