A customary Zulu wedding.
Usually, it is also about the binding of two families and, quite conceivably, even two communities and is generally more of an evolution, rather than an event.
In South Africa, a zulu wedding takes on many forms.
The bride may change her clothes three times in the course of the period, in order to show off to her in-laws just how alluring she is in variant colours.
For the wedding ceremony she will change into a traditional outfit. Her flaring red headdress is recollective of the hairstyle of her ancestors. Customarily, this headdress was created of her mother’s hair.
During the ceremony the parties from both the bride and the groom’s side go up against in contest through Zulu dance and songs. next the ceremony everyone gathers at the groom’s home for the ancestral slaughtering of a cow by his kin, to show their approval of the bride.
She then places money inside the stomach of the cow whilst the wedding guests watch. This symbolises that she is now part of the kin.
The wedding ceremony ends with the bride bestowing gifts in the form of blankets to her new kin. This tradition is named ukwaba. Even the long-deceased kin members accept gifts and are depicted by the living ones. The kin wrap themselves with the blankets in an open area where everybody will see. The audience ululate, sing, and dance for the family.
Originally published at Gifts to South Africa
www.tosawithlove.co.za
Processing your request, Please wait....
