As much as I would love to explain what a tifaifai is in my own word I cannot find the exact words to say so I went to my friend google and here is what I found from www.tnt.pa-tahiti-tourplan.com
"Literally meaning “applique”, the Tifaifai is part of the Polynesian family life. Defined as patchwork bed covers or quilts made out of a sheet of fabric on which have been sown one or several patchworks, or assembled several pieces of fabrics, the Tifaifai is truly precious in Polynesia.They are invaluable gifts from grandmothers or great-grandmothers. Symbols of affection and love, respect and consideration, they are given to a wedding etc"
I have never met my husband's grandmother but with the stories that I have heard and with all the blankets and pillow covers that she gave to us I can say that she sews REALLY REALLY good. And they all last for a long time, my husband's blanket which she gave to him before his mission is still with us, still looking really good despite all the years that it is has been used.
My husband considers all of her grandmother's work valuable especially the tifaifai that she gave for our wedding. That one has a sentimental value for the both of us not only because my husband' grandma made it but because it is one of our marriage symbols. Like our wedding bands our tifaifai symbolizes our union, the two of us becoming one. I love the fact that even if I am not Tahitian and we were not married in Tahiti we were still able to keep this cultural tradition for our wedding. This tifaifai is really valuable to our family and we are planning to pass it to Aidan when he gets married in the (far, far, far, far) future.
I have a high regard for cultural symbols, for me these symbols define our values and who we truly are on the inside. Being in an intercultural marriage is both exciting and challenging, it is hard to live having to live with both cultures but I always try my best to uphold and respect both my husband's culture and that of my own in our home. I know every marriage is "intercultural" since both parties whether they are of the same race or not have lived their own cultures before they have met their partners but just a note that in this post whenever I use the term culture I am referring to the values, traditions or practices that we share with the people similar to our race. Like Tahitian culture, Filipino culture, and the list goes on and on.
Let me share with you the beauty of the tifaifai that my husband's grandmother made for our wedding. I am sorry for the low quality photo but I just need to post brag about this.
