Where do you go with your favourite or special clothes ??
I think Tongans go to “church” with it.
I imagine it’s a little different for meeting of clothes with other countries and I also feel we are totally same with fashion pleasure in all of the world.

Sunday is the Sabbath for Tongans.
It means praying at church.
Free Wesleyan Church, Mormon Church, Sevensday, Catholic,,,, a lot of denomination.
There are nobody at a place where people gather on weekday ,even streets.
Ringing from 5a.m. is a sign of Sunday , and then almost all church start to pray morning celebration from 10a.m.
It would be very silent after church at 11a.m.
My town, Pangai in Lifuka Island, is full over with music from some bars or driving cars especially at Saturday night.
I can’t believe it’s same town with this big change.

Moreover, they go to the church in very beautiful full dress .
Small kids wear cute dress looks a wedding.
Men dress a shirt pressed well , a black tupenu (roll skirt ) and a taovala ( waistcloth made from pandanas) , even they normally wear casual clothes with soil saying ‘ I worked in my field.”
In general ,some women wear pretty clothes ,but most of them only roll a material instead of skirt without makeup.However, on Sunday , they dress an ordered pretaha (tongan formal dress) set with kiekie (waist accessory ) , of course they makeup perfect !!

Naturally, wedding is special occasion in all of countries and it’s right wearing nicely. It’s not only pleasure but also manner.
Maybe they spend like that every Sunday. It’s for them church rather than themselves.

When I searched about Tonga, first explanation was “they are religious Christian.” It surely seems to believe in it very deeply to go them church every Sunday.
They prepare many taovala or kiekie to go a church, they often hold a church meeting and cook special meal for it at each home.
That is way some people say “ Tongans spent too much money for them church.”

On the other hand, if you go to a church every Sunday, you could know dressing is them respect and also very important delight.
When I wore a different dress ,some asked me like this…

「This pretaha fit on you very much !」
「Where did you buy this? When did you you go Tongatapu?」
（We cannot make a puletaha or even order it in our small island otherwise we go to a capital ,Tongatapu.)
「Who made this kiekie?? How much is it ??」

It’s totally same with Japanese .
We make a little conversation after pray and go buck to have a lunch.
Making nice ourselves is very comfortable for us thorough any country, any religion, any custom, any gender, anytime, anywhere,,, I think.

If we have a difference, Tongans don’t buy dresses , taovalas or kiekies for a church .They make by themselves or ask to make to family or friends . The other option is order.
They wear very fitting dress with their line.

We image ordering is very expensive in Japan or almost all developed countries, but it’s not special in many developing countries.

The fabric shop measure and make it in Tonga.
Sewing cost is around 60-80 pa’anga (1 pa’anga ＝ about 50yen )
Material is around 8-15pa’anga each 1m. Because some Tongan women are very big, I expect they need 4-5m.
Even If it’s cheap for Japanese that we can order a dress with about 100-150pa’anga ( 5,000-7,500yen) ,it’s same amount with one week salary for young ladies in Tonga. They may treat themselves to a new dress.

They wear only one hour for pray and turn to casual clothes when it finish.
So, after all. Christiania makes them doing it … !?

Or, no place where they can dress up nicely !?
The sea ? they swim with old clothes .
A night club !? they enjoy with casual fashion.
A restaurant !? … we don’t have any in a small island.

Well, will they have somewhere they want to dress up in our future in TONGA !?

Author ; Miki Kato