Umhlonyane Ceremony

When a girl reaches the age of womanhood, the Zulu people perform a traditional ceremony called umhlonyane (depending on what age they reach it). For this event, the family's head (usually a father) slaughters a goat. The child is kept in a separate room away from other people a week before the ceremony, where she will stay inside and emerge on the day of the ceremony. By the time she enters the room, the elder ladies had arrived to provide her advice and guidance on how to behave as a teen (itshitshi -Zulu maiden).

The girl's friends (of the same age) come to stay with her until the next day before the ceremony. All of the girls cover themselves in 'white soil.' They go to the water to wash their bodies in the morning. They sing traditional songs that are pertinent to the event on their way back to the homestead.

They wear izigege (traditional Zulu girl's clothing) and beads. They sing and dance in the house as a sign that the girl is still under the care and control of her parents until they grant her permission to go outside and find a husband. Money, blankets, and clothing are among the gifts given to the girl by her neighbors and family members. Following that, folks can eat meat and drink traditional Zulu beer.