Pictures from a Tongan Graduation Party

A couple weeks ago, a boy from our ward graduated from high school, and he had his graduation party at the church. His mom asked me if I would be kind of the "roaming photographer" for the event, so they didn't have to worry about pictures. I said sure, and I took 150 pictures for them. We have been to enough parties here to know what to expect, but it was bigger and better than I thought it was going to be. Here are some of the pictures I took.

This is the guest of honor's table. There were two graduates and their parents and a few other special guests that sat at this table. There were two pigs, and lots of fruit and other food.

This is the food for all the other guests. The young womens served all the food for the event.

After the dinner, we got to enjoy many dancers. This girl is was in Caleb's grade at school, and she did the may day dance that they learned.

These are I think some of the cousins of the graduate, and they did a very cute haka dance...I know that isn't how you describe a haka, but the boys were really trying hard to look like the older guys when they do it, and it was cute.

Next, was the tongan money dance. Because it was preformed inside the church, the graduate's sister told the audience that sticking the money to the girls was not allowed, but that there was a box to the side of the stage for any donations. Normally, everyone gets up and sticks money to the girls (they are well oiled and it sticks to them). Aleta, also recently posted a money dance picture and explaination. The girls were really beautiful, and I loved their costumes

This is a girl in our ward. She did a hula. I think she has won some kind of award for her hulas....anyway she is really good.

After the hula, we had four girls do a Samoan dance.

Then another Samoan guy came out and did a dance, and then the girls rejoined him for the end of it. His sister is in the white shirt and jeans...and she is our Nursery Leader.

The final dance was the graduate and all his football buddies doing the haka. He is the one with all the leis and wearing the lava lava. I guess they did this at their football games. It was really good, but the pictures are not as effective as a video of it would have been.