Malawi is a country full of traditions, so where do I even start? I will share with you some of the most fun and interesting traditions I have found while being here in Malawi. It is a country alive with so many vibrant traditions and practices. While I can only speak of a very small few, hopefully you will get an idea of tribal and traditional life in Malawi.
Let's get right into it: the first tradition has to do with birthdays. Whenever one of the kids or coaches has a birthday at tennis training, they will quietly get a bucket of water and some cups. Then, at the end of training, everyone gets a cup and someone will start to play music on a speaker and they will start to sing and dance. They surround the lucky person and basically have a dance party with the birthday boy/girl in the middle! Everyone splashes the celebrant with water throughout. It is actually a lot of fun to see, and the celebrant dancing in the middle seems to love every second!
Next, I want to speak of the Malawian wedding tradition, because I find it very interesting. While it can vary slightly in different regions, many aspects are generally the same. The bride and groom will usually get married in the morning at the church with a small group of family and friends present.
