Relationships, Marriage, & Family Life in Kiribati
Dating in Kiribati varies to a great degree as some young people today are able to date and choose their spouse, but for others dating is non-existent as families choose their children's spouse. Although this arranged marriage was much more common in the past, it still exists to some degree in Kiribati today.
Young, unmarried women are expected to maintain their virginity prior to marriage and if they do the wedding is a great celebration. However, if this is not the case the wedding ceremony will often take place in rather humble circumstances like at a courthouse or without a large celebration. This is because a significant part of the wedding night is proving that the girl was a virgin, in what is known as the "cloth ceremony," which demands that after the couple consummate their marriage they reveal the blood-stained sheet. If the bride isn't a virgin the families are often ashamed and a marriage can be immediately ended. In some cases however, if the bride loses her virginity to her groom then a staged "cloth ceremony" may take place.