A look into the traditions and customs of the IsiXhosa speaking people. Picture: Instagram
As Mzansi celebrates the nation's diverse culture and rich heritage during Heritage Month in September. Earlier this week, on Heritage Day, millions day celebrated their cultures, promoting national unity, while encouraging South Africans to embrace it’s multicultural society.
IOL looks into the traditions and customs of various cultural groups to gain a deeper understanding of their way of life.
The Xhosa people are the second-largest ethnic group in South Africa. Other close clans of the amaXhosa people include amaMpondomise, amaBomvana, and abaThembu, among others. Each tribe is led by its own King.
The amaXhosa king is Ahlangene Vulikhaya Sigcawu; King Luzuko Matiwane is the reigning king of amaMpondomise, and King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo is the king of abaThembu.
The Xhosa people have different rites of passage as part of their traditions. One of the most important is Ulwaluko (initiation training).
According to Mpateni, A and Kang’ethe, SM (2021) in the African Journal of Social Work (11(5), 2021), the rite is practised for the fulfilment of health, cultural, identity, and spiritual needs.
As part of the rite, boys undergo circumcision, a procedure where their foreskin is surgically removed by ingcibi (Xhosa surgeons) with the assistance of amakhankatha (indigenous nurses).
This process takes place at Xhosa circumcision schools or centres. A genuine school is run by qualified and respected amakhankatha and their assistants, under the permission and supervision of cultural custodians and leaders.
According to South African History Online, both male and female initiation rites are practised among most Xhosa groups. Male abakweta (initiates-in-training) live in special huts isolated from villages or towns for several weeks during the circumcision process.
They are then inducted into adulthood, undergoing rituals that include shaving their heads, wearing loincloths and blankets for warmth, and smearing white clay on their bodies from head to toe as a symbol of purity.
Another significant tradition is Ukuxhela (slaughtering), a practice of giving thanks to the ancestors. It is performed during celebratory occasions or funerals.
When someone dies, a bull is slaughtered to accompany their spirit, and after a year, another bull is slaughtered to bring the spirit home — a process known as ugoduso.
Xhosa-speaking people often cook outside on an open fire, using large three-legged pots, which signifies communal sharing, an important part of their culture.
They prepare umqombothi (traditional beer) during imigidi (ancestral celebrations) and imigidi yokoluka (initiation training ceremonies).
uRonta or indlu yodaka (a circular hut made of mud) is a central feature in many rural homesteads.
When there is a death in the family, during the funeral period, the mud house (indlu enkulu) is emptied to allow people to pay their respects. People sit on ikhukho (grass mats) instead of chairs.
When a woman's spouse dies, she is required to mourn for a year, during which she wears black clothing to symbolise mourning. After this period, a cleansing ceremony is performed to free the widow from the period of mourning.
Married Xhosa women wear isikhakha during celebratory occasions. They also carry a traditional sling bag and wear an apron over their attire.
Different colours of beads symbolise different stages in life, starting from birth.
The inkciyo is a beaded skirt worn by AmaMpondomise women to cover their genital area during virginity testing ceremonies. These beads are usually white and turquoise.
Xhosa cuisine includes:
Inyama yenkomo (beef)
Inyama yegusha (mutton)
Inyama yebhokhwe (goat meat)
Umngqusho (samp)
Amasi (sour fermented milk)
Amarhewu (a drink made from fermented maize)
Umleqwa (free-range chicken, often referred to as "hardbody chicken")
The names given to children from birth hold significant meaning, often reflecting the parents' expectations or a particular event or situation surrounding the child’s birth.
For example, "Unathi" means "he or she is with us," while "Zanokuhle" means "come with goodness."
As times change, these traditions have evolved and are tailored to suit each family’s specific needs but the core essence of being umXhosa is still widely preserved by its natives.
IOL