Zambia is known as ‘The Real Africa’ because of its wildlife. Zambia’s National Parks are considered to be one of the Africa’s largest concentrations of game and among the top in the world.
If you wish to watch the big five Zambia is home to the Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino and Buffalo and has over 200 animals in adundance. Safari season runs from May to December with game viewing at it’s height in the drier months of August through to October.
Weddings in Zambia are always a highly detailed affair. A lot of things have to taken into account such as negotiations of bride price, kitchen parties also know as hen parties, matebeto and the wedding party.
Traditions and customs have to be taken into consideration before any preparations. The highlight of any Zambian wedding is the wedding dance performed by the bridal party. I am getting married in December this year and there is alot pressure on my partner and I to learn how dance for our entrance at the wedding reception. We both can not dance to Rhumba songs so we have to go for lessons. The bridal party are also under pressure to perform the dance because all eyes will be on them as well.
Zambia has unique wedding and honeymoon locations in the world. Couples can enjoy visits at places such as Tongabezi where they can enjoy activities like boat trips to the Victoria Falls, Island lunch, Sanpan floating candlelit, museum visits and many more.
Zambia’s culture is a blend of values and traditions of 73 ethnically diverse people.
It is amazing that even with the existence of so many tribes Zambians have managed to live in harmony unlike other African countries who have tribal animosity. English is one of the eight official languages and the most often spoken in schools, work, media and everywhere else. The other seven widely spoken languages are Bemba,Kaonde, Nyanja, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale and Tonga.
I have come to find out that many urban Zambians will speak at least passible English and as you move to rural areas do not be surprised to find a rural Zambian that speaks flawless English.
In as much as I appreciate English as the official language, there should still be room for our languages to prevail and help our culture.
I am engaged to be married and it worries me that I did not know what language I will pass on to my children. My father is a Kaonde man who speaks English all the time, a bit of Bemba because he grew on the Copperbelt province and speaks Kaonde and Bemba with my mother or his relatives. My mother is Bemba and speaks English, Bemba, Nyanja and Kaonde. My brothers and I speak English, Bemba, Nyanja and do not understand a word in my father’s language. When we all come together we speak English or Bemba because my father does not understand a word in Nyanja and my brothers and I do not understand a word in Kaonde. This worries me a lot because eventhough I speak my mother’s language, it is not perfect because I mix Bemba with English so it is basically broken Bemba.This bothers me because my fiance is Lunda and can speak it. He speaks English, Nyanja and is learning how speak broken Bemba from me.
I think I have to look for dictionaries in Bemba and Kaonde on Amazom.
There is a lack of interest and appreciation of art and crafts in Zambia eventhough industry is relatively well developed. I am one of the ignorant people. My father used to worked for the government at the Department of Culture Services and so his department promoted different kinds of art. He tried to educate me about art but I resisted.
Now that I live abroad it is kind of embarrassing when people ask me to give them information about Zambia art and I only have basic answers. But I am so glad that there is internet so I can easily google anything I want to find out about Zambia.
Craft work is often done seasonally to suppliment incomes of many families. It is readily accepted as a a recreational hobby than a profession.
Traditional Zambian art mainly consists pottery, wood curving and basket weaving. Other popular handicrafts are decorative ornaments and handmade jewelry from metals such as Malachite,copper or brass. Canvas pictures, reed mats bamboo chairs, table trucks and many more handicrafts have captured the market of international tourist.
I will be definately visiting museums when I visit home.
Nshima is the staple food eaten by not only Zambians but also by Zambia’s neighbouring countries.
It is made from plain maize or corn meal flour known as mealie meal by Zambians. Nshima is usually eaten for lunch and dinner. Zambians believe that Nshima constitutes a complete meal. Any other food eaten in between is considered a snack. Nshima can be eaten with any relish but Zambians enjoy it with chicken and sauce or chicken stew with some greens.
If a Zambian ate sandwich at lunch, they are more likely to say they have not even all day eventhough they ate sandwich.
My mother once cooked potatoes for dinner when my great uncle was visiting. This made my great uncle unhappy. When he went back to the village he told my father’s relatives that he was not given food when he visited us. This surprised my father’ sister who on later date came to visit us just make sure that the man spoke the truth. And again this time my mother cooked rice for dinner. After dinner my father’s sister told my mother what my great uncle told everyone at the village.
And according to bridgewater website there do’s and don’t’s that surround how the Nshima is traditionally served and eaten among Zambians. There are as follows;
Do not serve left over nshima from a previous meal to any adult
When eating, a younger person should never stop eating and begin washing hands first unless permitted by the older person
Guest who suddenly arrive when you are eating should be always be invited to join in sharing the meal
A lone guest should never be served the meal alone. Another person, often a young reliable child should always eat the nshima with the guest.
I am proud to say that Zambia is home to one of the seven wonders of the world which is known by the Kololo tribe living in the area as Mosi-oa-Tunya ‘the smoke that thunders’ in modern terms as the Victoria Falls.
The falls are a sight that many visitors would expect to see in Livingstone. Zambia’s tourism industry is dominated by the Victoria Falls.
When David Livingstone discovered the falls he named it after Queen Victoria. He wrote: “No one can imagine the beauty of view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes, but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.” ( Livingstone 1857)
Shiwa’ngandu was founded by Sir Stewart Gore Browne in 1921 as an ‘African Utopia’, a small piece of England in the remote african wilderness in Northern part of Zambia. Shiwa is a reminder of the grandular and splender of a bygone colonial era.
Sir Stewart arrived in Africa, on Belgian Congo border in August 1911. He worked there for three years, but his time at the Commission came to an untimely end when he argued with his superior about the unfair way in which the African staff were being treated.
A commitment to learning is critical for any country to move forward. A collaboration of governments, communities and individuals can make a difference in a country.
Zambia has come a long way since independence. More schools have been built in communities now. I have enjoyed great experiences in some of those schools. It is very rewarding to see how government and communities are still united in promoting development.
Both government and private schools exist in Zambia. Private schools operate either under British or American way of schooling. The private school began largely as a result of Christian mission efforts during the 19th century.
Many years ago, in Zambian culture, a woman was expected to repect and follow her traditions strictly if she was to live happily in society and in marriage. Culture had traditions which were passed on from generation to another.
Traditionally, boys were told that they were the owners of the home. A family of girls was not recognised as such. a woman who gave birth to a girl was disadvantaged, as this would give rise to marital problems from both the husband and his relatives. In families where there was little money, the father would rather give a boy child a chance of education than a girl, reason being that she would get married and the husband would take care of her.
Since globalization, Zambians have redefined themselves. The global culture of education and the consumption of western products have all affected culture and religion in Zambia. People are confronted with modern goods and ideas. Access to media and use of modern communication such as mobile phones and internet particularly in town has made life easier.
The men and women who have had the benefit of formal education and have good paying jobs are able to buy modern products, and try live a western lifesytle. A well educated Zambian woman can enjoy western way of life and at the same time participate in tradition initiation rites. In rural areas too, the way of life has changed as well because they are under pressure from external alternatives to survive urban evironment.
Finally the Kuomboka ceremony is graced us as usual in April this year.
Kuomboka is one of the colourful traditional ceremonies for the Lozi people of the Western Province of Zambia. Kuomboka, meaning coming out of the water onto dry land will took place in April this year. It is a yearly movement of people, their livestock from the flooded plains to the edges of the plain.
The ceremony originally started with the people moving their then reigning King (the Litunga) from his first capital in the Barotse plain (Lealui) to high ground (Limulunga) is known as the Kuomboka ceremony has become a prestigious ceremony that has attracted tourists.
Despite many researchers and historians have failed to find records establishing the exact year exact when Kuomboka as ceremony started. Lozi historians believe that at one time, there was an exceptional flood that covered the vast plains and killed all animals and washed away their crops.
People could not escape the flood in their leaky canoes because they feared drowning, it was that time when high god Nyambe, ordered a man to build the first great canoe Nalikwanda which means ‘for the people’ in order to evacuate the Litunga, his people and livestock. It is believed that the then Litunga made Kuomboka a pageant and quite a colourful move.
At that time a wise Induna called Nakambela advised the King to evacuate from the flooded palace together with his subjects and property. A big boat was constructed from local fibers (Makenge) and other materials such as wooden planks collected from all-over Barotseland. The evacuation was successful.”
The royal barge, the Nalikwanda, which carries the Litunga is a huge wooden canoe painted with black and white stripes, white symbolising purity in spirituality and black for people and their rich natural resources – black people, dark rich clouds and dark fertile soils.
Each paddler on the Nalikwanda wears a head-dress of a red beret with a piece of lion’s mane, and a knee-length skirt of animal skins. It is considered a great honour to be one of the paddlers on the Nalikwanda, as it requires a person with expertise as it very demanding or being traditionally versed in certain traditional requirements.
Zambia has unique 
It is made from plain maize or corn meal flour known as mealie meal by Zambians. Nshima is usually eaten for lunch and dinner. Zambians believe that Nshima constitutes a complete meal. Any other food eaten in between is considered a snack. Nshima can be eaten with any relish but Zambians enjoy it with chicken and sauce or chicken stew with some greens.