Now that was like a whirlwind! A week just flew by, and we are now sitting smack bang at the tail end of another Hibiscus Festival.
The first Miss Hibiscus Queen, Liebling Marlow, has spoken about the special place the event holds in her life and how it helped nurture her into the person she is today.
It was 70 years ago when a young and excited Liebling won the title. Many women have since gone on to carry the Miss Hibiscus crown.
So, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of this special event, we reflect on the very strong connection it has with the Capital City of Suva.
Today is a very special day for the contestants vying for this year’s Hibiscus Festival crown. This year’s queen will get to wear a tiara created especially for the occasion.
She will wear a cubic zirconia tiara customised with beautiful pearls donated by JHunter Pearls of Savusavu, giving this year’s piece a distinctly Fijian touch.
Festival director Ellen Whippy-Knight has spoken about the significance of the tiara and the special place it will have in the festival. This morning, the queens will be experiencing mixed emotions from the moment they get up.
There will be excitement. There may be a touch of trepidation and anticipation. There might even be doubt, fear, apprehension and uncertainty. These emotional responses are understandable, given the expectations surrounding the event and the huge publicity and media coverage it attracts annually. We hope there will also be a strong sense of accomplishment as the queens prepare for the final day of what has surely been a hectic week of engagements in the Capital City.
Today, they will be wrapping up an exciting chapter in their young lives. They will need courage to accept the final outcome at tonight’s crowning on the main stage at Albert Park. As the hours wind down to the big announcement, the level of expectation and anticipation will rise.
The crown changes heads tonight.
The weeklong event has attracted thousands of people from around the country, helped in part by the school holidays.
Events like the Hibiscus Festival are important for Fiji because they bring people from all walks of life together.
Such events provide us with an opportunity to experience true multiracialism at work. We live in a country brimming with different religious beliefs, traditions and cultures, yet we all share something in common when it is Hibiscus time.
It is a time of sharing, celebrating and appreciating the beauty and fun of this annual event. We keep saying this every year, and it remains an apt description of the festivities. For one week, every imaginary divide is cast aside and replaced by an overwhelming sense of shared joy, fun, excitement and unity.
This festival is not only for the people of Suva.
Live telecasts and online feeds have ensured it has become a regional affair, beamed into thousands of homes daily.
As we look forward to tonight’s crowning, perhaps we should remind ourselves of why such festivals are organised in the first place. And while we are at it, let’s be there for the floats! That promises to be another special spectacle.
As usual, let’s remain vigilant when out and about at festival venues. Let’s keep our homes safe and be proactive when it comes to the weather.
For those who can, we hope you enjoy this final day of the festival and take away many happy memories. To the queens, we say thank you for the memories. May this special occasion leave each of you with moments you will cherish. Above all, let us remember what the event represents. It is more than a crown, a tiara or a week of entertainment. It is a celebration of who we are when we come together. In a country as diverse as Fiji, that sense of unity is something worth celebrating, protecting and carrying with us long after the final curtain falls.
