Saturday, November 30, 2013

Seasons of Malawi

The beginning of Holiday season is marked in America with Thanksgiving. Here in Malawi there is no such holiday that really exist. There are many festivities that take place around the end of the dry season. In Malawi there are 2 main seasons; the rainy season and the dry season. Because we are on the other side of the equator they are the opposite of my homeland. April-May is the harvest season with the rains ending. At that time people have more food and money then most of the year. They have been able to sell their harvest if they have cash crop or extra harvest or if they want to make a little bit of money. The weather becomes cooler by June-August, which is also very windy. This is called the "cold season". When people complain about the cold I just laugh and tell them they would die if they stepped foot on Michigan Avenue in December when the wind comes blasting around the tall buildings and cuts through your body ( this is of course difficult to explain in Chichewa ). This is also wedding season. Because it is cooler, not raining and people have money I presume. This is also time for more traditional dances of the Gule Wamkulu. This is a traditional dance that originated from the Chewa tribe which is very prominent in the central region where I am located. From what I have been told is made of men who have been initiated to do these dances during adolescents. There are different levels and no one knows who you actually are because you are dressed in disguise. They were used for many different reasons, but mostly each mask was associated with a special dance that taught a lesson. Now they are used for different ceremonies and celebrations. The Chewa believe that living things were created by God — Chiuta — on the mountain of Kapirintiwa, which borders present day Malawi and Mozambique. Ancestors and spirits of other living creatures play an important part in present day society by being in constant contact with the living world, predominately through dance of those initiated to "Nyau", or secret societies."Gule Wamkulu", literally meaning "big dance", have become a sort of title for secret societies of traditional Chewa religious practices. The Gule Wamkulu ceremonies consist of formally organized dances to admire the remarkable physical abilities of these individuals — considered to be adept at their dance as a result of their spiritual state. Informally, Gule Wamkulu, or "Gule" is a term associated with anyone who participates in the rituals of these secret societies. The peak season for Gule occurs in July, with young men dressed as ancestral animals, trees, or in masks of ancestral spirits. The Gule themselves are initiated through formal ceremony into this society. Gule are considered to be in 'animal state' when they are dressed in such attire, and are not to be approached. If one has the misfortune of passing a Gule on the road, traditional behavior consists of dropping a few coins for the Gule — never handing them the money directly for fear they will grab you and take you to the cemetery for ritual purposes. Generally, it is best to avoid Gule in informal situations. In their animal or ancestral state, they are unpredictable.
Within the village, Gule may appear in small groups of 4 or 5 and villagers do their best to avoid any encounters. Gule are common in the afternoons, a strong incentive for tending to all business outside the home in the early hours. These secret societies have allowed for a close knit kinship between members of the Chewa — and equally divided them from neighbor groups.
As they weather becomes hotter in the months of September-December just before the rains come. It is amazing to see the landscape change in this amount of time from a dusty landscape to a beautifully green landscape. It is very easy to forget that it is Christmas time. As of now it is hot and humid as we wait for the rains to come. Luckily enough I have the opportunity of being in a community of a parish. Where Christmas is greatly celebrated and there are feast to commemorate different catholic holidays. Though it isn't the same as being with my family, luckily enough it nice to have a family and community wherever you go.

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