Samoa and its Cultural Tradition, Samoa

Almost all of the population of Samoa follows Christianity. The official languages of the nation are English and Samoan. Tattoos are also a part of the Samoan culture and these tattoos are different for men and women. The tattoos have a geometric design; men’s tattoos are called Pe’a whereas women’s tattoos are known as malu. Sunday is the day of worship and almost everything shuts down on this day. Samoan villages are very traditional; it is recommended that you do not walk through them on Sundays. Further, there is usually a half an hour long curfew (for prayer) at sundown everyday in a number of villages; avoid walking around during curfew.

The villages still have a chief, called matai and follow a number of traditions. It is best to comply with these; foreigners are, at times, given some amount of leeway but you should still not wear clothing which is revealing and should try to follow all the rules that are set in place by the matai. Apia, unlike other places in Samoa, is slightly less traditional and does not enforce strict etiquette rules. Nudity and even going topless (in the case of women) is not acceptable. If you find difficulty in deciding what to wear, try a lavalava, which is a traditional attire.