Festivals in Africa: Africa’s Diverse Cultures
By: Natanael Sinurat
Africa is one of the continents in the world with size similar to that of South America. Africa is well known for its savannah biome, with its regional floras like the acacia trees, and its faunas like lions, leopards, hyenas, antelopes, gazelles, etc. Africa is also well known for its Negroid race residents.
As we know, where there are residents or society, there is something we called culture. Culture is something which is maintained by society since a long time ago, even centuries past. This also applies in Africa, where they have their own culture from centuries ago. Like other continents’ societies — for example, Asians, who have diverse cultures — Africans also have diverse cultures.
1. Gerewol Festival
One of the diverse cultures in Africa is the Gerewol Festival or usually called by people as the handsomeness contest. This festival is usually held by Nigerian people and other people in Chad once a year. The most unique part from this festival is its purpose, which is to get a woman, even a married woman will do. In this festival, men will try to get a woman or another man’s wife, by putting make up on their faces and wearing special clothes. Then, they will show their handsomeness and other physical advantages, which will be definitely judged according to their tradition.
At the same time, they will line up and dance in front of women to get their attention. Their dance moves follow the dance moves of a bird when trying to attract females, which is bouncing motion and bending down while singing “va va va” with a smile.
2. Gum Tattoo Festival
If Gerewol Festival is held by men, then Gum Tattoo Festival is held by women in western Africa, especially in small villages like Thies, in Zenegal. Although it is called gum tattoo, there are no any tattoo machine or ink in that festival. This is because it is truly impossible to tattoo gum into our mouths. In this tradition, women will colour their gums with special liquid made from hot oil and shea butter, until their gum turns black. Then, they will smile widely to show their captivating smiles.
They can do the colouring for seven times in that festival. The locals admit that this festival can get rid of bad breath.
3. Fresh Cow Blood-drinking Festival
A unique but also creepy tradition, it is when a tribe in eastern Africa named the Maasai tribe, pierces a cow’s veins, pour its blood into an emptied pumpkin, then proceed to drink it. However, this tradition is only held by the soldiers of said tribe. They believe that drinking fresh cow’s blood not only gives them immunity, but also decreases drunk effects.
References
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