UMGIDI

On Saturday Wezi took us to Khayletshia, the largest township in Cape Town (more on that later). The occasion was an Umgidi - a coming of age party for a boy. When Xhosa boys reach about 18 years old, they are circumcised and then sent to live in the bush for about 4 weeks. This can be very dangerous --- they face the risk of attack by people or animals, infection from their circumcision, and so on. Some do not make it back. While they are away they are both healing and learning to be a man, and when they return, they are considered men. The Umgidi is the acknowledgment and celebration of this rite of passage. The parents throw the party, inviting as many guests as they can. However, even if you are not invited, you can show up, and the family has to prepare for that as well. It is considered good fortune to have "party crashers" show up because it makes the party more lively, and, as Wezi noted, "the people who are not invited sing the loudest." I was one such party crasher.

Well, not exactly - we were technically invited by Wezi, who was invited by her friend, who was invited by the family... practically family. That's how it works among the Xhosa culture - there is a very blurred line between family and friends, and friends and acquaintances.

Anyway, we showed up. And though we stood out a bit (ha!), we were greeted with open arms. No, much more than that... we were actually welcomed with about 20 large aproned women running at us, shrieking at the top of their lungs and pushing/pulling us into the house in a blur of apron strings, large bottoms and hugs. They immediately pulled two older women off of their plastic chairs so that Jeannie and I would have a seat, and then asked us to give a speech.

After a smiley speech about how happy we were to be there, we presented our gift of a bed comforter to the mom of the young man who had recently come of age, and then settled into our plastic chairs to enjoy the show. And a show it was - everytime a guest arrived with a present (usually of some sort of alcohol) they were ushered in with the same excitement and robust singing. There is something very special about South African singing - I swear they are born with some natural ability to harmonize on queue to absolutely any tune and make it appear that they had been practicing the last 6 months straight - but I digress.

Needless to say, it was amazing. The pictures above are of some of the women - the women and men are separated for the entire party (the women have waaaaay more fun, trust me.) The top picture is of the oldest women who sit along the back. They have probably 6 teeth between them, but grinned at me with the warmest toothless smiles I have ever seen, and held my hands tight when I greeted them.