6 Strangest Traditions Still Practiced In Africa
Today I bring to you 6 mind blowing and strangest traditions practiced in Africa till this very day. Africa is heavy on bizarre practices, some of which are popular, while many others are not known to the world. Some of these strange customs and traditions are still in existence.
1. Festival Of The Dead Chewa tribe of Malawi
The Chewa community is a Bantu tribe mostly found in Malawi. During the burial ceremony of a tribe member, it is customary for the body of the deceased to be washed. The corpse is taken to a sacred place where the cleansing is done by slitting the throat and pouring water through the insides of the dead. The water is squeezed out of the body until it comes out clean. The water is then collected and used to prepare a meal for the whole community as they believe that the dead has been cleaned up of his or her iniquities.Â
It was also reported that such practice of cleansing the dead, serves or helps in the spread of some infections and deadly diseases in the Chewa community.
2. Flogging before marriage (Sharo) Fulani tribe of West Africa
Many indigenous cultures in Africa often have rites of passage for male adolescents. These traditions may vary from culture to culture, sacrifice, hunting, tests of bravery, strength and fortification. One of such indigenous people would be the Fulani of West Africa. These people practice the Sharo Festival diligently. The word Sharo means flogging. It is a public ceremony that shows the bravery and endurance of boys who are passing into manhood. The festival is held twice a year. The first of the festival is usually held during the dry season when guinea corn is being harvested, and the second during the Muslim festival of Id-el-Kabir.
The Sharo Festival is held for a week in an open place such as a market square.
3. Lip Stretching Surma tribe of Ethiopia and Sudan
The Surma people are made up of three ethnic groups: The Mursi, the Suri, and the Mekan people. The Suri and the Mursi share a similar culture. Their womens beauty is determined by how large their lip plate is.
These lip plates are usually made of clay or wood and range between 4 and 25 centimeters. Before a lip plate can be applied on the lip, two or four teeth would have to be removed before the lower lip is cut to fit the lip plate. This lip plate process is usually done by a childs mother when she attains puberty. To stretch the lip, a ceramic disc is placed after the cut and will remain until the initial cut has healed before it is placed with another slightly larger disc.
4. Bull Jumping Hamar tribe of Southwestern Ethiopia
In the Hamer tribe, the only thing that stands between a young boy and him becoming a man is cattle literally. Bull jumping is an ancient ritual in Southwestern Ethiopia that proves if a man is ready to build a family of his own.
As teenagers, Hamer boys have to go through a rite of passage to be called a man and get married. The ceremony puts the young boys bravery and courage to the test. Being able to conquer fear and complete the task ahead is a lesson they have to learn to become a man.
5. Spitting as Form of Greeting Maasai tribe of Kenya and Tanzania
While spitting is often considered as an uncivilized and unhealthy gesture around the world, Kenyan and Tanzanian people of the Maasai tribe have incorporated it into their greeting ritual. Maasai people consider spitting as a sign of reverence and blessing or a way of saying hello.
The Maasai spit into their palms before a handshake. Parents, friends, and family members spit on newborn babies to bless them with good luck and longevity, and they believe this would protect the baby from evil spirits.
6. Wife Stealing Woodaabe tribe of Niger
The most important date in the Wodaabe calendar is September, at the end of the rainy season when the sexually liberated tribe gathers ahead of their transhumance migration to celebrate Gerewol. Most of the time the tribe spend their time in smaller family groups travelling across the harsh Sahel desert, mainly in Niger. They can also be found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria.
After months of trekking through miles of arid desert, Gerewol is the chance for them to come together for a traditional catch up a festival of music and dance, which last for seven days and nights. Its location is usually kept a closely guarded secret and is only revealed days before the event is due to take place. And by far the most eye-catching of all the dances is the Yaake a mating call for men to battle it out for sexual supremacy, perform in front of three female judges.
Youre probably thinking these practices are barbaric, and in some instances dangerous. Well, to these men and women, it is nothing but a way of life and therefore celebrated. Africa is indeed under-studied, and I assure you there are more cultures and norms the world is yet to see.
Today I bring to you 6 mind blowing and strangest traditions practiced in Africa till this very day. Africa is heavy on bizarre practices, some of which are popular, while many others are not known to the world. Some of these strange customs and traditions are still in existence.
1. Festival Of The Dead Chewa tribe of Malawi
The Chewa community is a Bantu tribe mostly found in Malawi. During the burial ceremony of a tribe member, it is customary for the body of the deceased to be washed. The corpse is taken to a sacred place where the cleansing is done by slitting the throat and pouring water through the insides of the dead. The water is squeezed out of the body until it comes out clean. The water is then collected and used to prepare a meal for the whole community as they believe that the dead has been cleaned up of his or her iniquities.Â
It was also reported that such practice of cleansing the dead, serves or helps in the spread of some infections and deadly diseases in the Chewa community.
2. Flogging before marriage (Sharo) Fulani tribe of West Africa
Many indigenous cultures in Africa often have rites of passage for male adolescents. These traditions may vary from culture to culture, sacrifice, hunting, tests of bravery, strength and fortification. One of such indigenous people would be the Fulani of West Africa. These people practice the Sharo Festival diligently. The word Sharo means flogging. It is a public ceremony that shows the bravery and endurance of boys who are passing into manhood. The festival is held twice a year. The first of the festival is usually held during the dry season when guinea corn is being harvested, and the second during the Muslim festival of Id-el-Kabir.
The Sharo Festival is held for a week in an open place such as a market square.
3. Lip Stretching Surma tribe of Ethiopia and Sudan
The Surma people are made up of three ethnic groups: The Mursi, the Suri, and the Mekan people. The Suri and the Mursi share a similar culture. Their womens beauty is determined by how large their lip plate is.
These lip plates are usually made of clay or wood and range between 4 and 25 centimeters. Before a lip plate can be applied on the lip, two or four teeth would have to be removed before the lower lip is cut to fit the lip plate. This lip plate process is usually done by a childs mother when she attains puberty. To stretch the lip, a ceramic disc is placed after the cut and will remain until the initial cut has healed before it is placed with another slightly larger disc.
4. Bull Jumping Hamar tribe of Southwestern Ethiopia
In the Hamer tribe, the only thing that stands between a young boy and him becoming a man is cattle literally. Bull jumping is an ancient ritual in Southwestern Ethiopia that proves if a man is ready to build a family of his own.
As teenagers, Hamer boys have to go through a rite of passage to be called a man and get married. The ceremony puts the young boys bravery and courage to the test. Being able to conquer fear and complete the task ahead is a lesson they have to learn to become a man.
5. Spitting as Form of Greeting Maasai tribe of Kenya and Tanzania
While spitting is often considered as an uncivilized and unhealthy gesture around the world, Kenyan and Tanzanian people of the Maasai tribe have incorporated it into their greeting ritual. Maasai people consider spitting as a sign of reverence and blessing or a way of saying hello.
The Maasai spit into their palms before a handshake. Parents, friends, and family members spit on newborn babies to bless them with good luck and longevity, and they believe this would protect the baby from evil spirits.
6. Wife Stealing Woodaabe tribe of Niger
The most important date in the Wodaabe calendar is September, at the end of the rainy season when the sexually liberated tribe gathers ahead of their transhumance migration to celebrate Gerewol. Most of the time the tribe spend their time in smaller family groups travelling across the harsh Sahel desert, mainly in Niger. They can also be found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria.
After months of trekking through miles of arid desert, Gerewol is the chance for them to come together for a traditional catch up a festival of music and dance, which last for seven days and nights. Its location is usually kept a closely guarded secret and is only revealed days before the event is due to take place. And by far the most eye-catching of all the dances is the Yaake a mating call for men to battle it out for sexual supremacy, perform in front of three female judges.
Youre probably thinking these practices are barbaric, and in some instances dangerous. Well, to these men and women, it is nothing but a way of life and therefore celebrated. Africa is indeed under-studied, and I assure you there are more cultures and norms the world is yet to see.
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