Fiji
In Fiji, kava (also called "grog" or "yaqona") is part of the fabric of life, drunk day or night, at home or in the village hall. The consumption of the drink is a form of welcome and figures in important socio-political events. Both sexes drink kava, with women consuming the beverage more than men. The importance of kava in Fiji is not so much in the physical as it is psychological, serving as a forum where stories are told and jokes bantered. Part of this communal aspect is its role in conflict resolution, functioning as a peace pipe between quarrelling groups.
Since the country is a centre of education in the Pacific, many students from neighbouring islands drink kava for the first time in Fiji, especially Tongan and Samoan women. Fijians have meanwhile carried the drink and the culture surrounding it with them to other countries; kava is now sold in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.
During his pastoral visit to Fiji in 1986, Blessed Pope John Paul II drank a bowl of kava during the traditional welcoming ceremony. Queen Elizabeth II (still regarded as the traditional Paramount Chief of Fiji), drank a cup of kava on her official trip to the country in 1952.
Read more about this topic: Kava Culture