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The name of these traditional garments is umbhaco, while their cousins, the Zulus, wear animal hide (men) and colourful clothing and beads (women). They usually paint themselves prior to performing. Umxhentso is mostly performed in the Transkei homeland in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa where the tradition is still valued.
The ritual takes place after a girl has had her first period. [1] This ritual is symbolic of a girl's sexual maturity and ability to conceive . It is through this ritual that girls are taught about socially accepted behaviours of Xhosa women, [ 1 ] while also encouraging them not to have sex before marriage . [ 2 ]
Customs vary between Xhosa tribes. Intonjane is one which is commonly performed by amaGcaleka. The Gcaleka practise of intonjane, which involves a number of ceremonies which speak to the rite of passage of Xhosa girls. [6] It aims to prepare girls for marriage and womanhood. Initiates take part in rituals performed by their birth families ...
Shweshwe is traditionally used to make dresses, skirts, aprons and wraparound clothing. Shweshwe clothing is traditionally worn by newly married Xhosa women, known as makoti, and married Sotho women. [9] [10] [14] [15] Xhosa women have also incorporated the fabric into their traditional ochre-coloured blanket clothing.
The Xhosa people(/ ˈ k ɔː s ə / KAW-sə, / ˈ k oʊ s ə / KOH-sə; [2] [3] [4] Xhosa pronunciation: [kǁʰɔ́ːsa] ⓘ) are a Bantu ethnic group and nation native to South Africa.They are the second largest ethnic group in South Africa and are native speakers of the isiXhosa language.
Traditional clothes were worn by leaders such as Nelson Mandela, who put on a Xhosa traditional garment, in 1962 in his trial for attempting to overthrow the government. The expression of his identity as a true South African person spoke for the aggression in resistance and asking for one's won control of one's country. [ 6 ]
The girls are covered enough to ward off winter colds. In the past young girls used to wear fringed skirts (makgabe) with letsoku used to cover each stand of the fringe skirt.The Basotho have a leather apron called semola which is made for young women when they are received from the initiation school.
The girls wear traditional attire, including beadwork, izigege, izinculuba and imintsha that show their bottoms. [7] They also wear anklets, bracelets, necklaces, and colourful sashes. Each sash has appendages of a different colour, which denote whether or not the girl is betrothed .