Mele and Iosepa’s First Christmas: Introductions 

Christmas is a special time on the islands. We not only celebrate the joy and magic of the season, we know how to have fun! As a special holiday gift, we have prepared our own Christmas tale.

Iosepa is our brave, Fijiian warrior. He is mighty, he is strong, he is a risk taker!  Iosepa tends to think of himself as quite the handyman. Mele begs to differ.

Mele and Iosepa met on a beautiful moonlit night, right after he performed a traditional Fire Walk.  Somehow the combination of burnt up heels and that snaggle toothed grin of his won her heart, and they were happily married soon after.   Join Mele and Iosepa, (pronounced “MEL-ay” and “eYO-sep-ah”) from the Islands of Fiji as they prepare for their first Christmas season together in their own, unique way.   Presented below, in it’s entirety, is our 7 part tale of love.

Mele is Iosepa’s loving wife.  She is resourceful and wise, though she tends to panic easily. But then again, she’s married to Iosepa, so it comes naturally.

 

Episode #1:

“I Want THAT One!”

Mele and Iosepa go Christmas Tree shopping

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Episode #2

“Iosepa Gets All Tangled Up”

It appears that Iosepa has hung up more than just his Christmas lights.

Episode #3

“Iosepa Wraps Up More Than Just the Presents”

 Mele stumbles upon her hubby’s first attempt at wrapping Christmas presents.

Episode #4

“Iosepa Receives the present of Mele’s…uhm… His Dreams” 

…and is overcome with great joy!

Episode #5

“Mele Lets Out Her Inner Diva…”

Iosepa holds his aching ears while the chicken clears the beach.

Episode #6: 

“SILENT NIGHT”

A Tender Moment of Christmas Love and Joy with Mele and Iosepa

Marau na Kerisimasi!

(Merry Christmas – Fiji)

Episode #7

Sending You Our Holiday Greetings!

What are coconut dolls and where do they come from?

These dolls are made from coconuts and are representative native Fijiian warriors and villages from a bygone era. The doll on the right was selected to be our “Mele” and the one on the left was chosen to be our “Iosepa.” We even found a beautiful miniature flower lei for Mele and a manly fishbone necklace for Iosepa, which you may notice in the Christmas posts, in order to help distinguish them even further.

Side note:  We have heard the question “are you sure that the doll with the ponytail is a boy” a number of times. We went straight to our Fijiian village here at the Polynesian Cultural Center for our answer. “Yes, that was the typical hairstyle for our men, and it’s purpose was to keep their hair out of their way during battle”. So throw any misconceptions away. Iosepa is as manly as they come! 

Does the Polynesian Cultural Center sell these items?

Sadly, our coconut head dolls are no longer available, making our Mele and Iosepa truly one of a kind!  But….. 

We have many items that reflect the fun, beauty and excitement of the islands at shop.polynesia.com. Everything from fine jewelry, to hand-carved replicas of weapons, original art and sculptures, snacks & treats, Fijiian tapa headbands and so much more. Why don’t you check us out at  shop.polynesia.com