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''Kastom'' is a pidgin word (Vanuatu Tourism Office
/ref>
''Kastom'' is a pidgin word (Bislama
Bislama (; ; also known by its earlier French name, ) is an English-based creole language and one of the official languages of Vanuatu. It is the first language of many of the "Urban ni-Vanuatu" (citizens who live in Port Vila and Luganville) ...
/Tok Pisin
Tok Pisin (,Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student’s Handbook'', Edinburgh ; Tok Pisin ), often referred to by English speakers as "New Guinea Pidgin" or simply Pidgin, is a creole language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea. It is an ...
) used to refer to tradition
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
al culture, including religion, economics, art and magic in Melanesia
Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.
The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Va ...
.
The term is the generally accepted term in anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
to describe such phenomena as well as the common and lay term used in everyday language.
The word derives from the Australian English pronunciation of 'custom' but crosses meanings that incorporate:
* Convention (norm)
* Custom (law) or customary law
* Norm (sociology) and
* Tradition
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
It is consistent in spelling across most of the many variations in pidgin and pisin across the region.
Kastom is mostly not written, only passed down through teachings and stories. It is concentrated through:
* Kastom House - sites where objects and rituals are stored.
* Kastom stories - myths, legends and communal histories.
* ritual objects - objects of special power, significance and symbolism.
The use of the word is slightly different in the different countries and cultures of Melanesia.
There are designated Kastom villages in Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
which are open to tourists, dedicated to preserving Kastom./ref>
See also
*Culture of Vanuatu
This article presents an overview of the culture of Vanuatu.
Social system and customs
Vanuatu culture retains a strong diversity through local regional variations and through foreign influence. Vanuatu may be divided into three major cultural ...
*Customary land
Customary land is land which is owned by indigenous communities and administered in accordance with their customs, as opposed to statutory tenure usually introduced during the colonial periods. Common ownership is one form of customary land owner ...
*'' Tanna'' (2015)
Notes
References
*''Culture, Kastom and Tradition: Cultural Policy in Melanesia'', edited by Lamont Lindstrom and Geoffrey M. White. Melanesian culture Tradition Bislama words and phrases {{tradition-stub