Reed Dance
The Reed Dance is a traditional opportunity for Swaziland's maidens to pay tribute to the Queen Mother. Although the King has used the occasion to choose wives a few times, the ceremony is not about him primarily. The king's own children partake in this event.
The annual Umhlanga (Reed) Dance is an assembly of about 20,000 young maidens (which rechead 80 000 in 2012 ) and led by Inkhosatana Sikhanyiso Sikhanyiso Dlamini. They bring tall (4 m) reeds to present to the Queen Mother. These reeds are then used to build windbreaks around the Queen Mother's residence. The Reed Dance usually lasts for a week and the king attends only the last day as a sign of respect to his mother. He also uses the occasion to thank the young girls who have traveled long distances to attend the event by slaughtering cattle and presenting them with a feast before they return home.
Read more about this topic: Mswati III
Famous quotes containing the words reed and/or dance:
“At this time in American history, we are like ghosts talking gibberish through different dimensions, and stupid men do not make good make good mediums.”
—Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)
“You whig emblem, you woman chaser,
why do you dance over the wide lawn tonight
clanging the garbage pail like great silver bells?”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)