In the trobriand Islands, people do not celebrate birthdays. When a boy is about fourteen or fifteen, he moves out of his parents' house. Each canoe takes about eighteen months to make. Boys and girls may live together for periods of days, weeks or months. Most islands have no idea when they were born or how old they are. That way, they have a chance to find out if they are the right people for each other. When it is finally finished it is named and special ceremonies are held to give it magic powers. This is also about the age that he begins to work on his own garden