How a Beautiful Tahitian

Custom Was Killed But Garlands Survive in Raiatea

ONCE upon a time it was the pretty custom for women of Tahiti to wear wreaths of flowers when they went abroad in the cool of the day or at evening.

Fashioned of the white tiare blossom or the tiare mingled with crimson fara. these fragrant chaplets gave the ideal contrast of colour with raven hair and golden-brown com plexion, which is the essence of true beauty.

It was a custom charming and al together lovely—so much so that cer tain people, who see behind all beauty and gaiety the horrid mask of sin, viewed it with stern disapproval. Pre sently, from some mysterious source, came the pronouncement that the wearing of garlands was not respect able.

There was no ban on artificial flowers. Blossoms of fabric fashioned by the hand of man, dyed with anilin colours, hideous beyond imagination and attached to hats that would make angels weep to behold, were hailed as symbols of high-mindedness and chastity; whereas the fragrant beauty and exquisite colours from Nature’s workshop were anathema maran atha.

Without doubt, no more absurd and illogical interdict has ever been im posed at any time or at any place.

Happily, the handsome women of Ra’iatea would have none of it. They considered their age-old habit of de corating their persons with island flowers as one of their ancient heri tages which was not to be challenged.

They ignored the edict, and continued to disregard it in their own island and in the very stronghold of critical displeasure, when they came to Papeete.

And so this charming custom has survived and, we hope, will continue so long as the sun shines and rain falls and flowers blossom; for it is the unauna (the perfect adornment) of our beautiful Polynesian women.—

A.C.R.