Africa has one of the most diverse traditions and cultures in the world. With 54 independent nations and over 1.2 billion people, it is not hard to imagine why it is so.
African culture is seen through many different art forms like dance, music, art, fashion, design, language, and much more.
Now, it’s easy to talk about “African people” as a whole, but the truth is that there are over 3000 tribes in these 54 different and unique countries. These tribes have unique cultures that distinguish them from each other.
So in this post, we will reveal some of the most popular African cultures that you should know. Some of them will shock you, while some will make you smile.
Let’s dive right in!
10 Most Popular African Cultures
Here are ten of the most popular cultures in Africa. Brace up!
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1. Lip Plate Of The Mursi Of Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s Mursi tribe is one of the last tribes in Africa where women are expected to wear large pottery or wooden plates on their lower lips. When a Mursi girl reaches age 15 or 16, her mother or another older woman in the settlement cuts her lower lip.
A wooden plug keeps the cut open for about three months while it heals. Mursi members are fairly egalitarian; girls are never forced to have their lips pierced; it is entirely voluntary. Of course, regardless of culture, 16 is the prime age for peer pressure, which is often why girls opt for the lip plate.
2. Drinking Animal Blood And Spitting Of The Massai People Of Kenya and Northern Tanzania
Spitting is considered a blessing and a sign of respect by the Maasai people of Kenya and Northern Tanzania.
Tribespeople would use spittle to greet or say goodbye to friends, seal a deal, or wish someone good luck. Before shaking hands, two friends will spit in each other’s palms. When a baby is born, family members will spit on him or her to wish him or her a long and prosperous life.
Spitting is also customary on a daughter’s wedding day, with her father spitting on her forehead to wish her a happy marriage.
The Maasai people are hematophagous. This means that they drink blood. Yes! They drink cow blood mixed with milk. They believe it nourishes them. Asides from the spitting and drinking of blood, the Maasai also have another popular culture known as the Adamu.
The Adamu is a jumping dance performed as an initiation right when young boys become men. This dance is followed by a song as men take turns to see who jumps the highest.
The essence of this dance is to show fitness and prowess, and it becomes a celebration when the boys become eligible bachelors. The boy who makes the highest jump attracts a bride.
The Maasai people also have colorful clothing known as Shuka. The Shuka comes in a range of colors, each of which has what it signifies. Red signifies protection from wild animals. Orange represents hospitality and friendship. Blue is for the sky, rain for cattle. Green indicates nourishment, while Yellow means fertility.
3. Bull Jumping Of The Hamar Tribe Of Ethiopia
The predominantly pastoral Hamar tribe in Ethiopia, also known as the Hamer tribe, values and respects their cattle and has a rather athletic initiation ritual.
This culture is all about the art of bull jumping. All boys must participate in the three-day bull jumping ceremony, which is crucial to maintaining the honor of the initiate and his family.
The initiate must be made to walk over 15 castrated bulls whose backs have been rubbed in dung to make them slippery. This makes the task much more challenging. If he fails, he’ll have to wait a whole year to try again. But if he succeeds, it shows he’s ready for marriage, and his parents must choose his bride.
4. Courtship Dance Of The Wodaabe Tribe Of Niger
The Wodaabe tribe of Niger takes a cue from nature regarding their mating rituals. Young men dress up in elaborate decorations and traditional face paint for the Guérewol, an annual ritual and competition, and line up to dance and sing.
The objective is to attract one of the judges, a young woman suitable for marriage. Men frequently roll their eyes and flash their teeth to display their sex appeal in this tribe because the ideal of male beauty revolves around bright eyes and teeth.
5. Red Ochre Of The Himba Tribe Of Namibia
The women of this famous Namibian tribe are known for having beautiful skin and hair with a reddish tint. This color is derived from using otjize.
When girls of this tribe are old enough to take care of their personal hygiene, they start using otjize. Otjize is a paste made from butter, fat, and red ochre.
People have been guessing where the practice came from for a long time. Many say that it protects from the sun or keeps insects away. But the Himba tribe says it’s just for looks. It’s a traditional makeup they put on every morning, just like we put on mascara and lipstick.
Due to the striking appearance that the red paste creates, the Himba tribe of Namibia has earned the name “Red people of Africa.” Hair for Namibia women shows status and age.
They start with shaved hair for children, then plaits and braids, and graduate into a leather ornament known as Erembe for women who have had children.
6. Wedding Ceremony Of The Ndebele Tribe Of South Africa
The bride is the most important part of the Ndebele wedding ceremony, and her clothes are much more interesting than white western dresses. This is mostly because of her future mother-in-law and the most beautiful tribal custom.
The groom’s mother makes the bride a Jocolo, an apron made of goatskin and decorated with beautiful beads. All married women wear the Jocolo during the wedding ceremony. It looks like a mother with her children around her.
On their wedding day, the groom does a ceremony to honor his new wife and thank her for everything she’s done for him and for their time together.
The Ndebele people also believe that curses or spells cause sickness. So to cure sickness, a sangoma, a traditional healer, has to battle these forces using bone throwing and traditional herbal medicines.
7. Healing Dance Of The San People Of Southern Africa
This African culture might be the most magical of all of them. The San people of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Angola see dance as a sacred power.
The trance dance is an important part of their culture, also known as the healing dance. This ritual dance brings the entire community together,
Healers and older people lead the community around a fire for several hours or even a night. The healers dance around the fire, chanting, stamping, and imitating animals until they get into a powerful trance-like state as the community members keep time by chanting and clapping.
They can communicate with the spirit world in this state and often walk over the fire. The San healers don’t just do this to treat people’s physical illnesses; they also try to get rid of what they call “star sickness,” a force that makes people jealous, angry, and fighting with each other.
8. Groom Flogging By The Fulani Tribe Of Western Africa
Before they get married, the Fulani tribes do Sharo. In this case, the community’s older people flog the groom so that he would get a wife and be respected. If the man can’t handle the pain, the wedding doesn’t happen.
As an alternative to flogging, the bride’s family can choose Koowgal, a type of dowry payment, or Kabbal, an Islamic ceremony that is like a wedding but without the bride and groom.
9. Uganda Potency Test
Marriage entails quite a burden for the bride’s aunt in the Banyankole tribe, a minority tribe in Uganda. When a couple decides to get married, the bride’s aunt must perform a “potency test” by engaging in sexual activity with the groom and a virginity test on the bride.
10. Festival Of The Dead In Malawi
A Bantu tribe called the Chewa is primarily found in Malawi. It is customary to wash the body of the deceased during the burial ceremony of a tribe member.
The body is brought to a holy place where the dead are cleansed by having their throats cut and having water poured through their bodies.
The body is squeezed dry after all the water has been removed. After that, the water is gathered to make food for the entire community.
Conclusion
Africa is the second largest continent in the world with 54 diverse countries and has some of the most diverse and unique cultures, as you have read in this article. These cultures are seen in the daily lives of these people as they carry out rituals passed down from their ancestors.
While some of these cultures are bizarre, others are interesting. The bottom line is Africa is rich in diverse cultures.
These cultural displays are worth witnessing, especially if you are adventurous and want to know more about the tribe. Just make sure to ask questions and maintain respect for their cultures.
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