What Does "Bula" Mean? A Guide to Kava Culture
· 2 min read · By BulaBula
Spend five minutes in Fiji and you'll hear it a dozen times. Bula! From the person at the airport, the shopkeeper, the stranger passing on the road. It's also our name, twice.
Bula means life
Bula is a Fijian word that literally means "life." As a greeting, it carries a wish for good health and happiness, which makes it a little warmer than "hello." You'll also hear the longer, more formal ni sa bula vinaka.
It works as a welcome and a toast as well as a greeting, and that's why it ended up at the center of kava culture.
Kava in Fiji
In Fiji, kava is called yaqona, and it's part of everyday life as well as formal ceremony. The root is ground, mixed with water and strained into a large wooden bowl called a tanoa. It's served in a bilo, a cup made from half a coconut shell. That's why a serving of kava is still called a shell.
Sharing kava is a way of welcoming guests, marking occasions and sitting down to talk.
How a shell is shared
Customs vary between villages and islands, but a common pattern goes like this:
- You're offered a shell.
- You clap once and say bula.
- You drink the shell, traditionally in one go.
- You hand it back and clap again.
The details matter less than the spirit: everyone drinks from the same bowl, and everyone is part of the circle.
Why we said it twice
We're a long way from the Pacific. Our home is Lakewood, Colorado, at the foot of the Rockies. But the idea travels well: a room where you're greeted warmly, handed something good to drink, and given a reason to sit down with other people.
That's also what our logo shows. It's a kava bowl, with mountains rising out of it. Pacific roots, Rocky Mountain home.
We liked the word so much we said it twice.
Say it with us
You don't need to know any of this to order. But if you'd like to do it properly, raise your shell, say bula, and drink.
BulaBula pours kava every day from 11am to midnight at 195 S Union Blvd in Lakewood, just west of Denver. New to kava? Start with our first-timer's guide, then come see us.
21+ for kava and kratom. Not for use during pregnancy or with alcohol or sedatives. Please drink responsibly. This article is general information, not medical advice. Our drinks are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.