Day 6. this is the first day of dancing, which takes place from about 3pm to 5pm. first, the girls present their reeds to the queen mother, leaving them outside her residence as a form of tribute labor. they then march to the stadium and perform their dance, each regiment singing a different song. The reed dance festival is an annual cultural celebration in the kingdom of eswatini (formerly swaziland ), that showcases the nation's unity and pride. also known as “umhlanga” or the “swazi reed dance”, this event holds deep significance for the swazi people. umhlanga derives its name from the zulu language meaning “ place of reeds.
Umhlanga reed dance. 2024 dates: 27 aug to 2 sept; main day: mon 2 sept. this is eswatini’s (swaziland’s) best known cultural event, and has a more open feel than the incwala. in this eight day ceremony, young girls cut reeds, present them to the queen mother (indlovukazi) – ostensibly to repair the windbreak around her royal residence. 16th august 2024. the dates the biggest cultural event in eswatini have been announced and a hive of colourful activity will soon descend upon the country in the form of the festival known as ‘umhlanga’ or reed dance. the festival is set to start on the 27th of august, with the main day (day 7) set to take place on monday 2nd september. The 8 day umhlanga reed dance in eswatini is a celebration of purity, unity, and cultural strength. the annual event, occurring between late august and early september, centers on unmarried, childless girls cutting and presenting reeds. the festival's objectives include preserving chastity, providing tribute labor to the queen mother, and. Umhlanga [um̩ɬaːŋɡa], or reed dance ceremony, is an annual swazi event that takes place at the end of august or at the beginning of september. [1] in eswatini , tens of thousands of unmarried and childless swazi girls and women travel from the various chiefdoms to the ludzidzini royal village to participate in the eight day event. [ 2 ].
Comments are closed.