Interesting traditions in African culture

Africa is a vast continent that is full of culture and history and some culture in the African continent are just amazing or should I say interesting. In this article we discuss some of these fun, unique, weird and interesting cultures in the African community.

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1.Kidnapping a bride

I personally found this tradition very interesting. This culture is unique and a guy is supposed to kidnap whichever lady he wants to marry. Like for example if you have a crush on a certain girl all you need is kidnap her and the next day visit the elders as well as the members of the family and if they agree to it, then you got yourself a wife.

And sometimes it does not even matter if the dad agrees to it or not, the man can go ahead and marry the girl forcefully. This is a tradition that is found in Sudan and you might want to visit Sudan to learn more about the culture.

2.Boys proving their manhood before circumcision

Well, this tradition is pretty popular all over the continent. In most countries in Africa for example South Africa and Kenya, the young men who are about to be circumcised are supposed to prove if they are worthy to be circumcised or not.

Some tests can even be dangerous and it can even lead to death if the young man is not very careful. The purpose of the ritual or the test is to make sure that the young man takes this step serious because after the whole process the boy becomes a man and he can even marry.

3.Putting a price on the bride

Another culture or tradition that is very common in the African continent. The families of the bride and the groom meets and they discuss the exact amount of money the family of the groom should pay in order to get the bride. And after the lady has been “bought” then she will belong to the man. The negotiations are done through writing and the family cannot meet until the negotiations are complete.

4.Spitting on young children

In the kikuyu community in Kenya, spitting on a young child on the head or the chest is a sign of blessing. The Maasai tribe in Kenya also has the tradition. And the spitting is not just for the young children, if you do something that a kikuyu or Maasai old lady appreciates, she can spit on her chest as a sign of saying thank you. The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania also spits on their hands before they can shake the hands of their elders.