The Samoan fa’alavelave is kind of a hard concept to explain. In some contexts the word fa’alavelave means “trouble,” but it also refers to anything that’s out of the ordinary. Generally speaking, weddings and funerals are common fa’alavelave in Samoa.

The most notable aspect of fa’alavelave is the extreme gift giving. Funerals in particular can be huge events, and people who attend are expected to bring outrageous amounts of gifts. Traditionally, gifts would be food (pigs, cows) and fine mats (‘ie tōga). The idea was that everyone would contribute what they had, and everyone would take something back in return.

Nowadays, people are also expected to bring huge quantities of tinned fish (sardines and mackerel) and cash, and unfortunately, in some cases, not everyone gets back what they contribute. This poses a problem as Samoa is not truly a cash economy, but rather most people still live a subsistence-based lifestyle. I’ve actually heard of people taking out micro-loans (meant to start small businesses) for money to take to fa’alavelaves.

Fa’alavelave is a bit of a controversial topic in Samoa, as while many people here are critical of the practice, tradition and social pressure are very strong forces in Samoa.