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Course work
On this page, I have included the piece that I completed in the first semester. The piece is about the day before umgidi. Umgidi is a celebration ceremony that is held for a boy when he comes back from the initiation school.
Village joys
This is a rondavel house, which in my home is called 'indlu enkulu'. This is the house the boy returning from the mountains will stay in in the day of the ceremony.
Photo credit: Zisanda Solwandle
Most African homes are big on traditional ceremonies to honor their ancestors. These ceremonies bring families together to gather, joined by other village people to cook and celebrate together. I discovered my favorite food; samp and offal—fresh offal from a recently slaughtered animal.
A traditional ceremony is not a ceremony without the slaughter of an animal, be it a goat, cow, or sheep. The animal is slaughtered for the ancestors as a token of a "thank you." It is also part of the meal that will be served to everyone who sacrificed their time and energy and came to gather with the family to celebrate and give a helping hand: be it peeling vegetables or cooking.
This is a photograph of sheep and a goat, animals that are usually slaughtered on the day before the ceremony.
Photo credit: Zisanda Solwandle
The first ceremony that took place at home that I remember clearly was in 2015. When my cousin brother, Akhona returned from the mountains. A big traditional ceremony was thrown to celebrate his safe return and thank the ancestors for keeping him safe until his return.
he night before the ceremony, more than three sheep were slaughtered by the village and family men. The offal was then given to the married women to clean it. Take off all the dirty things inside the intestines and make them ready to be cooked.
The married women took their time draining all the unnecessary dirty things inside the intestines and wash the offal. They then cut the offal into small pieces so that it can be enough for everyone.
While they were cleaning the intestines, the men were cutting the slaughtered sheep into appropriate pieces. The girls were cleaning around the yard. Some older women were peeling vegetables while others were ululating because they were excited for the following day, which would be a big and joyful one.
A photograph of a black pot that is used to when cooking with wood outdoors.
Photo credit:Zisanda Solwandle
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Once the married women were done with the offal, they cooked it. They made a fire outside the house and used the black pots made to be put in the fire. On the other side of the fire, they were cooking samp. That was going to be our meal for the night.
After they were done cooking, they took the pots inside the house and dished them for everyone. From a distance, you could smell the fresh offal, and just then, my stomach started making funny sounds as if I was hungry. The food was mouth-watering from a distance, and from then I knew that offal was my favorite.
I got my plate and the food was warm. I could see the oily gravy on my plate, and suddenly, I was happier. I dug into my plate and even asked for more. I mostly enjoyed the fat intestines. The way the meal was so delicious, you could tell that a mother prepared the food—someone who has a warm heart and genuine love.
There was a circulation of positive energies throughout the joyful preparations of the ceremony at home. Everyone was productive, doing everything willingly and with joy; I got to celebrate my cousin's come back from the mountains and discover my favorite meal, offal, and samp. The meal that makes me the happiest and reminds me of one of the best moments.