Honouring Fijian funeral traditions in Sydney

Fiji's funeral traditions are among the richest in the Pacific, and distance from home makes them more important, not less. Here is how Sydney families keep them strong — and what to ask of your funeral director.

The reguregu

In iTaukei custom, the days before the funeral bring the reguregu — families arriving to present tabua, masi and mats, to sit with the bereaved and share their sorrow. In Sydney this needs a venue with room and time: a funeral home that closes at 5pm cannot host a reguregu properly.

Ask your funeral director for evening access, space for large groups, and patience. The presentation of gifts is not a delay to the schedule; it is the point.

Church and choir

Methodist and Catholic services anchor most iTaukei funerals — hymns in Fijian, choirs, and a talatala or priest who knows the family. Allow more time than a standard chapel booking: an hour is rarely enough. Many families also hold the service at their own church rather than a funeral chapel, which we always encourage.

Antim sanskar — Hindu rites

Indo-Fijian Hindu families observe antim sanskar: family washing and dressing their person, garlands and offerings, prayers led by a pandit, and cremation — with the eldest son or nominated family member lighting the flame where the crematorium allows. The ashes are collected promptly for the rituals that follow, and often travel to Fiji or to the Ganges.

Tell your funeral director early which crematorium the pandit prefers — some Sydney crematoria are far better set up for witnessed charging than others.

Muslim janazah

For Muslim families, burial should happen as soon as possible: ghusl and kafan performed by the community, Janazah prayer at the mosque, and burial in the Muslim section of a Sydney cemetery — often within a day or two. Choose a funeral director who can genuinely move at that speed, day or weekend.