The Tongan Royal Family will end their 100 nights of mourning His Late Majesty King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV on December 28.

The ocasion will be marked with the Pongipongi Tuku or the Last Morning of Mourning for the Royal Funeral, and a Taumafa Kava will be held at Pangai Lahi on Thursday December 28.

Ma'u Kakala one of the Nima Tapu or the "Sacred Hands" of the King of Tonga said today, that prior to the Pongipongi Tuku and the Taumafa Kava the ritual of Lanu Kilikili or the Washing of the black pebbles will be held on Wednesday, December 20.

Ma'u said that these rituals mark the end of the 100 nights of mourning period which have restricted the movement of the Royal Family and the Nima Tapu attendants.

Ma'u said that at the Pongipongi Tuku the Taumafa Kava, the Ha'a or the clans will make a massive presentation of food at Pangai Lahi similar to the presentation they made at the Pongipongi Tapu, Sacred Morning and the Taumafa Kava.

In preparation for the Lanu Kilikili, the Nima Tapu have started to remove all the kilikili stones from all of the tombs at Mala'e Kula. During the Lanu Kilikili ceremony on December 20 all the kilikili will be washed again with sea water and oil before they are put back on the tombs. Ma'u said that the kilikili for the tomb of the late monarch were specially collected by the people of the island of Fotuha'a from the nearby volcanic island of Tofua.

Ma'u said that there are currently 24 Nima Tapu residing at the Mapu 'a Fuiva residence to carry out their traditional roles to the royal tombs, but after the 100 days of mourning they will all return to their own homes and resume their normal way of life.

Tonga officially ended the one-month of mourning period for the late monarch on October 17.