Cultural Practices

Sudan has criminalised female genital mutilation (FGM) and imposed a three-year prison sentence for offenders, according to a newly amended law. The amendment to the criminal law was approved on 22 April, the Reuters news agency reports. Sudan is one of...

Mwaka Kogwa is a four-day festival held in Makunduchi, usually in late July. It is a celebration of the New Year and some of the events include huge bonfires and mock fights. The festival has its origins in Zoroastrian religion...

Kusasa Fumbi “Sexual cleansing” is a common practice in several African countries where a woman is expected to have sex after her first period, after becoming widowed, or after an abortion, as a cleansing ritual. For young girls Kusasa Fumbi...

The Nuba people have been wrestling for centuries and like other forms of Wrestling in Africa, the purpose of Nuba wrestling is to build group identity and display the prowess of the group's young men. The Nuba peoples are various...

None of the about 5000 inhabitants of Mafi Dove, a village in southern Ghana, was born there. The village is considered to be a holy land and consequently has a myriad of customs and traditions that have been upheld...

The Sambian people of Papua New Guinea practice one of the most bizarre cultures known to westernisation. A cultural anthropologist, Gilbert Herdt, has described their ritual act of initiation as “ritualised homosexuality.” The Sambia people are a tribe of mountain-dwelling,...

At least 21 boys have died in South Africa while undergoing circumcision in the bi-annual ceremony which began in November, authorities have said. Twice every year, A fairly large number of Xhosa boys go through a coming of age ritual...

Widow inheritance is a custom commonly practiced in Africa. In this custom, a man inherits the property and wife of his deceased brother or relative. The custom is practiced in order to ensure that a widow and her children...

Valuable African Traditions Now on the Brink of Extinction Popular African traditions are slowly being replaced with strange western cultures. Although Africa often appears disadvantaged in many aspects, it is king when it comes to preservation of cultures. In fact,...

Witchcraft may soon be legalized as traditional medicine in Senegal, a move that is expected to ease the burden on already overcrowded hospitals, news site Aljazeera reports. Traditional practices which tie into spiritual beliefs have been a part of African...