
In Oceania, the rhythm and routine of daily life – fishing, tending the garden and, nowadays, office work – is occasionally disrupted by spectacular festivities. People travel from far and wide to take part. The preparations – making items for use in the festivities, setting up the festival site and preparing special food – can take weeks, even months sometimes. Music, dances performed in spectacular costumes, and impressive masks celebrate the life of the community and commemorate the dead.