Just like in the rest of the world, traditions are important to Senegalese people. People express their family and religious identities through repeated rituals that can change over time. Traditions are never static; they evolve and change with the people who re-enact them. For instance, I participated in the 139th "Call of the Layenne" in which I walked to the coast of Ngor with thousands of people all dressed in white. How might our 139th celebration have been different/the same as the first "Call of the Layenne?" I also watched a baby-naming ceremony. How might this be different/the same from family to family?
The "Call of the Layenne": The Layenne are one type of Islamic organization in Senegal. Although people call it a "brotherhood," women are also active. The "Call" involves a walk to the seaside of Ngor from Yoff to commemorate the life of the Layenne founder, Seydina Limalou Laye. It is believed that after the death of Muhammad, his spirit lived in Ngor, and later was reincarnated as Mame Laye ("Mame" is a term of respect).
Ngente: The ngente is a naming ceremony in which family and friends gather at the home of the new parents one week after the child is born. The parents receive gifts and provide a meal of lakh .
