Know Your Roots - "Tongan Ta'ovala"

The video I watched was called “Know Your Roots: “Togan Ta'ovala” and what it’s talking about in the video is why Tongans wear carpets around their waist. What the Tongans wear around their waist are called ta’ovala, they wear it at weddings, birthdays and funerals. 

The reason Tongans wear carpet around their waist is because of an old myth, saying there were a group of Tongans that set sailed to Tu’i Tonga but they had a rough ride to their destination so there clothes look ugly and they look naked in a way so once they arrived they cut their sail off there boat and put it around their waist.

During weddings their mats are more designed, decorated and flashy. At funerals they wear huge mats but cruster and if the wearer is closer to the person who is in the coffin the older and toner it would look better. When people die, Tongans are wrapped in mats as a sign of respect. Wearing the ta'ovala is also seen as a sign of respect.

This is why Tongans wear carpet mat or as Tongans call it Ta'ovala. It is a sign of respect at funerals. They also wear it at birthday and weddings. This is what I learnt from the video and why they wear Ta'ovala on special day.