Zambia, situated in Southern Africa, is a landlocked country consisting of rugged terrains, mountains, tribal population and rich wildlife!
It gets its name from the Zambezi river, which is just below the massive Victoria falls!
Culture of Zambia
With over 70 ethnic groups, the Zambian culture is extremely rich and diverse. Each group is important, and is acknowledged each year during their festivals.
Greeting
Before starting any conversation, if a person approaches you, offer the initial greeting.
Men should never go and greet a woman directly.
Men should never greet a woman with a handshake. Only if a woman extends her hand for a greeting, should he return it back.
Names
A naming ceremony is very important in Zambian culture.
Children are usually named after important family members.
In the Tumbuka Tribe from Eastern Zambia, the twins are usually named: Pashani and Mypela, Mulimba and Tombi.
A second born child is sometimes called Kahilu.
Of Twins and Second-born
Lobola
This is a pre-wedding practice where the groom is asked to pay an appreciation fee to his wife, as a promise to keep her well.
The gifting process is called as nslamu.
The gifts are normally in monetary terms or includes livestock such as cows or sheep.
Pre-wedding Buffet
A man who is about to get married is invited to his future wife's house, for Pre-wedding buffet.
The ritual is called as Icilanga Mulilo.
The cooking of the food takes place on a coal or firewood and not on a stove.
Kitchen Party
There is pre-wedding kitchen party held where the bride's relatives and friends help her start the kitchen by donating new kitchen items.
The celebrations begin with the bride covered from head to toe. She is escorted by her female relatives.
Traditional Zambian Dishes
Traditional Ceremonies of Zambia
Zambia has unique traditional ceremonies, some of them celebrate the harvests, other different rituals and customs.
4 PM Tea
In Zambia , an afternoon tea has tremendous significance.
People have it at 4 pm with snacks, bread or biscuits.
Kuomboka
It is the traditional festival of Western Zambia, which involves the king of the tribe and his wife moving from their summer home.
They travel in two separate boats in the traditional attire.
The King and the Queen travel in two separate boats, the bigger boat being of the King. It is a 6 hour journey.
Likumbi Lya Mize
It is a ceremony of the boys, where masked boys and men, dance and enjoy. It is a 4 day festival.
N'cwala Festival
It is celebrated in Eastern Zambia, where the first crop of the season is blessed by the village chief.
It takes place in February.
There are traditional dances and mock fights followed by traditional food.
Chakwela Mukubi
It is a festival celebrated in the Lusaka province. The name means 'pulling the clouds'.
It is the ritual of praying to the ancestors for rains, so as to start the farming season.
The ritual also includes the burning of a small area in the field for a planting a seed.
Facts about Zambia
Zambia is a huge country which is roughly three times the size of the UK and a bit larger than Texas, USA.
Flag
The flag of Zambia was first hoisted on 23rd October 1964. The colors represent the mineral wealth, wildlife and struggle of the people of Zambia.
The eagle represents the fight of the people of Zambia and the ability to soar above the problems.
The economy in Zambia is mainly driven by the mining industry apart from agriculture and fishing.
Zambia is well-known for termite hills which can grow to the size of a small house!
The Victoria Falls is 108 meters in height, it is almost double the height of the Niagara in Canada.
Wildlife
Zambia has an abundance of wildlife and is every wildlife photographer's delight!
It is home to wild animals such as tigers, rhinos, cheetahs and many more!
Wildlife in Zambia
Do not miss the Safaris! It will surely be a memorable experience.
If you are lucky enough you might spot the King of the Jungle in its full glory!
Zambia has the largest man-made lake in the world, Kariba , which is used for commercial fishing operations and also to supply electricity.
Zambia is the biggest exporter of Copper and produces around 1.5 million tonnes per year.
Miscellaneous Facts
The official language of Zambia is English, although there are a lot of regional dialects spoken more than 72 precisely.
The National dish of Zambia is Nshima, it consists of white rice and vegetable stew.