I promised to sprinkle a few of my experiences in South Africa in my blog posts. Today I am going to tell you about some young girls that returned from several months living in the bush, without their families. This is a tradition for the young girls when they are around 12 or 13 years old to learn about being a young woman in their village.
(The boys also go off by themselves, but not with the girls.)
(The boys also go off by themselves, but not with the girls.)
We were visiting a Women's Craft Center, where the women of the village sell some of the beautiful things they have made with beads, wood, fabric, and paint. Some of the women were there, sitting under the trees, working on their projects.
The girls were there to celebrate their return from the bush by dancing.
I loved all the bright colors in their dance clothes. Look at the feathers, beads,
embroidery, shells, and...handkerchiefs!
Oh my, they danced and blew whistles at the same time....they were
really making the dust fly : ) They danced off and on for at least 20 minutes.
(I didn't get a picture of the young woman who would beat a drum creating
the beat for the dance.)
It was beautiful.
I enjoyed seeing the joy in their faces and their dancing!
piece,
elizabeth
3 comments:
That makes me smile - it looks so festive and joyous :D
That looks like it was great to watch =D
Very interesting, can you imagine our your 12 and 13 year old girls being sent out to fen for themselves for several months? What is the significance of the handkerchiefs?
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