How to wear the Tiare Tahiti flower?
Every single day of your stay in The Islands of Tahiti, you'll see it: behind the ear of a smiling Polynesian, whether native or adopted, woman or man, and undoubtedly behind the ear of a few tourists... the iconic tiare Tahiti flower.
The beautiful tradition of the tiare Tahiti flower
The tiare flower is a key ingredient in one of the purest and most precious cosmetic oils in the world: Tahitian monoi, a global symbol of well-being, tropical holidays and sunshine.
But in The Islands of Tahiti, the tiare is not only used for monoi oil. Wearing a tiare Tahiti flower behind the ear is a widespread custom here, not only with tiare, but also with hibiscus, frangipani (tipanier) and many other beautiful tropical flowers. But where did this charming tradition begin?
It seems that this custom is several decades old. Perhaps even older. The first European explorers noted that Polynesian women, mainly from Tahiti, wore flowers as earrings, along with shiny shells and unpierced Tahitian pearls, delicately wrapped in three strands of fine coconut fiber.
Late 18th-century sketches and engravings even depict flowers pinned in the hair. At the time, flower necklaces were not yet given as welcome gifts. Instead, peace was offered with a banana branch (mei‘a).
As for the tiare Tahiti, it was reserved for noble families, the ari'i, clan chiefs or island chiefs.
Wearing the Tahitian tiare: rules and meaning
When you board an Air Tahiti Nui flight, you are offered a tiare flower (slightly closed) along with a warm smile.
But did you know that there is a specific language of love that has codified the wearing of this flower on the ear? Here’s the Polynesian flower code you need to know:
- placed on the left ear, on the side of the heart, the flower indicates that the person is taken. Love is blind, as we all know: with the tiare Tahiti on your ear, the message is clear.
- placed on the right ear, it means that the person is single and available.
- worn on both ears, it means that you are in a relationship but still open to new encounters. Adventure remains adventure.
- if the tiare is worn with the petals facing backwards, it means “right now.” Personally? I've never seen one - ;)