The Zulu Reed Dance More than 25 000 Zulu virgins gather at the King’s Enyokeni Traditional Residence for this very colourful and meaningful ceremony every September which promotes respect for young women, and preserves the custom of keeping girls as virgins until marriage. In the olden days, the women gathered at the Zulu Reed Ceremony (Umkhosi woMhlanga) and men at the First Fruits Ceremony (Umkhosi wokweshwama). The Zulu Reed dance is an educational experience and opportunity for young maidens to learn how to behave before the Zulu King . This is done whilst delivering reed sticks, singing and dancing. Maidens learn and understand the songs while the young princesses lead the virgins. The maidens wear ‘izigege’ and ‘izinculuba’ that show their bottoms. Traditional attire includes beadwork to symbolise African beauty at its best. At this stage the maidens are taught by senior females how to behave themselves and be proud of their virginity and naked bodies. That allows maidens to expect respect from their suitors who intend approaching them during the ceremony. The second phase is educating the young maidens ‘amatshitshi’ by their older sisters ‘amaqhikiza’ on how to behave in married life. Young maidens are encouraged not to argue or respond immediately but to wish the suitor well on his journey back. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox7W2cpuzIA

The Zion Christian Church (or ZCC) is the largest African initiated church operating across Southern Africa. The church's headquarters are at Zion City Moria in Limpopo Province, South Africa (Northern Transvaal). According to the 1996 South African Census, the church numbered 3.87 million members. By the 2001 South African Census, its membership had increased to 4.97 million members. The final number of ZCC members is most likely between 8 and 10 million, in total, according to figures provided by Neal Collins from The New Age and Alex Matlala from The Citizen, two South African newspapers. History The ZCC was founded by Engenas Lekganyane in 1910 after a long journey of trying to find a spiritual home. After being educated at two Anglican missions, Lekganyane joined the Apostolic Faith Mission in Boksburg. He then joined the Zion Apostolic Church schism and eventually became a preacher of a congregation in his home village during late World War I. After falling out with the ZAC leadership, Lekganyane went to Basutoland to join Edward Lion's Zion Apostolic Faith Mission. Lekganyane ZCC members trace the founding of the church to a revelation which Lekganyane is said to have received from God on the top of Mt Thabakgone. After splitting from Lion, Lekganyane used his home village of Thabakgone, near Polokwane (Pietersburg), as a headquarters, with about twenty initial congregations in the Northern Transvaal, the Witwatersrand, and Rhodesia. In 1930 Lekganyane began building a stone church there. After clashes with his chief, Lekganyane was expelled with his church still unfinished. Determined to obtain land, he eventually purchased three farms in the Polokwane area. Maclean Farm near Thabakgone would eventually be renamed as "Moria", the ZCC's headquarters. The ZCC was officially registered in 1962 after the government's reluctance to recognise one of the continent's largest and most influential churches. The early church was strongly influenced by the doctrines of the Christian Catholic Church of John Alexander Dowie, based in Zion, Illinois in the United States of America, and by the teachings of the Pentecostal missionary John G. Lake, who began work in Johannesburg in 1908. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShxfEVsgpp4

Udwendwe celebration The Zulu wedding The Umhlanga Reed Dance is a traditional dance and ceremony where up to 40 000 Swazi maidens gather and dance for the Queen Mother. This Swazi cultural event is performed as a tribute to the Royal Family and dates back centuries in time. Taking place over a week, normally the last in August, it is largely private, however its final two public days (normally a Sunday and Monday) are a spectacle that is unrivalled in Africa today. Thousands upon thousands of maidens dress up in brightly coloured attire and sing, dance together as they deliver the reed or umlanga to the Royal Residence. Their enjoyment of this ceremony is quite apparent as they use the opportunity of bonding with girls of similar ages from across the country. Every year at the end of September the Zulu nation holds the Reed Dance, where more than 20 000 maidens gather from every part of Zululand, bare-breasted & wearing their traditional beadwork, to dance for the King. Princess Cebolenkosi, daughter of the amaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini has presented her reed to the Zulu King. She led thousands of maidens who are participating in the annual Reed Dance at the eNyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Maidens from different parts of KwaZulu-Natal Mpumalanga province, Gauteng and Swaziland have braved the cold and rainy conditions to be a part of the gathering. For more on this we earlier spoke to our reporter on the ground, Sibongakonke Mbatha. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhocEoK4om0

The Zulu Reed Dance More than 25 000 Zulu virgins gather at the King’s Enyokeni Traditional Residence for this very colourful and meaningful ceremony every September which promotes respect for young women, and preserves the custom of keeping girls as virgins until marriage. In the olden days, the women gathered at the Zulu Reed Ceremony (Umkhosi woMhlanga) and men at the First Fruits Ceremony (Umkhosi wokweshwama). The Zulu Reed dance is an educational experience and opportunity for young maidens to learn how to behave before the Zulu King . This is done whilst delivering reed sticks, singing and dancing. Maidens learn and understand the songs while the young princesses lead the virgins. The maidens wear ‘izigege’ and ‘izinculuba’ that show their bottoms. Traditional attire includes beadwork to symbolise African beauty at its best. At this stage the maidens are taught by senior females how to behave themselves and be proud of their virginity and naked bodies. That allows maidens to expect respect from their suitors who intend approaching them during the ceremony. The second phase is educating the young maidens ‘amatshitshi’ by their older sisters ‘amaqhikiza’ on how to behave in married life. Young maidens are encouraged not to argue or respond immediately but to wish the suitor well on his journey back. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN00mBABlGI