Samoa 'ava ceremony

The ʻAva Ceremony is one of the most important customs of the Samoa Islands. It is a solemn ritual in which a ceremonial beverage is shared to mark important occasions in Samoan society. The Samoan word ʻava (pronounced with the glottal stop) is a cognate of the Polynesian word kava associated with the kava cultures in Oceania. Both terms are understood in Samoa.

The 'Ava ceremony within Samoan culture retains the same ritual pattern with slight variations depending on the parties involved and the occasion. It always includes speeches and oratory and the formal drinking of 'ava, including women if they are part of the ceremony, with special attention paid to precedence in drinking order. One of the most important occasions for the 'Ava ceremony is during the bestowal of matai chiefly titles.

The Samoan word for both the plant and the drink manufactured therefrom is ʻava (pronounced with the glottal stop), although at some distant date before the letter k was dropped from the Samoan language it was termed kava by which name it is universally recognised. The drop of the letter k is often replaced by the glottal stop in Samoan. The exact same word ʻava also means 'beard.'

Also, other Samoan words with the same spelling, but different phonetic sound and meaning are;

The 'Ava Title is a name or names bestowed only on certain matai chiefs who also have an 'Ava Title inseparable from their chiefly title. The bestowal of an 'Ava title usually takes place at the same time a matai title is bestowed. It occasionally happens that the 'Ava title is bestowed first, but only after it has been determined that the chiefly title will follow and after it has been publicly announced that such an event will take place in the near future. In either event the procedure is the same.

The 'ava beverage is made from the dried roots of the plant Piper methysticum and mixed with water before it is strained for drinking. The plants grow to a maximum height of about seven feet, the majority of specimens being much less. It usually has several stems springing direct from the roots. The stems and roots of the plant are of a loose character, and the roots from which the drink is made are carefully cleaned and scraped. When fully grown, the roots vary considerably in size, and, with a section of the stem of the plant attached, resemble roughly, a club. The root of the plant is called a'a 'ava, the first word meaning root. The 'ava roots are cleaned and dried in the sun before usage.

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