The people who know Germany, they would have certainly the idea that Germany is country of amazing festivals and traditions. In fact, if we say that every month some important cultural activity is going on, it might not be wrong!

People enjoying Oktoberfest

The historic city of Germany, Munich is particularly famous for Oktoberfest which is also known as Wiesn. Wiesn is a local name for this festival which is derived from Theresienwiese, the name of the field on which Oktoberfest is held. Oktoberfest is a 16 day long festival which starts from the last days of September and lasts till the first weekend of October. This superb event which takes place every year has grabbed the attention of the worldwide visitors who are coming to attend this tremendous event since last two centuries. Today the Oktoberfest is considered as the Largest Volksfest (People’s Fair) in the World which attracts five to seven million tourists every year.

Oktoberfest dining hall

Oktoberfest was originally started in October 1810 which was an extravagant wedding event of Crown Prince Ludwig I with Princess Therese Von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. At that time the main event was a horse race which was later replaced by carnival style booths. At the end of the nineteenth century these booths were improved to beer tents. And today Oktoberfest is not only a food festival but this is a happening of numerous celebrations and cultural activities.

Oktoberfest of Munich, Germany

The total number of the seats of the Oktoberfest hall is approximately 100,000. A special type of beer is produced by the local breweries which contain 4 to 5 percent of alcohol. The opening ceremony of Oktoberfest starts with a grand parade of the Oktoberfest “landlords” and breweries, which features traditional dancing, cultural music and costumed performances. Familiennachmittagen is specially organized to encourage family attendance on each of the two Tuesday afternoons (from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.) with special prices for public transportation and entry.

The dancing girls of Munich in Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest of Germany, no doubt, provides the visitors a marvelous opportunity not only to enjoy carnival rides and junk food but to explore the splendid German city Munich.

The Kalash tribe in Pakistan is perhaps the smallest but one of the most magnificent ethnic group of Pakistan in terms of their rich and distinguished cultural background.Kalash tribe is well known for their unique customs and traditions. Geographically their area is known as Kafiristan which is actually a splendid valley zone in the district of Chitral in Khyber Pakhtun Khuwah province.  The people of Kalash commonly known as Kalasha are so unique who belong to Indo Aryan community.  They speak Kalash language and are scattered in the three valleys namely Birir, Bumburet and Rumbur in Kafirastan.

Kalash Kids, Photo by Jodi Hilton

The historians remain confused about determination of the true ancestry of Kalash people as some of them declare them to be the descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great. While the other opinion is that the ancestors of Kalash people actually migrated to Afghanistan from a far place in South Asia and they dwelled in the Nuristan area, a province in Afghanistan. However the consensus is about the period of their migration from Afghanistan to current region in the 2nd century B.C. by the 10th century A.D.

Apart from their mystic emanation the Kalash people possess loving, cordial and responsive character and they are famous for their dancing, music, and their religious traditions. In fact they have everything exclusive like their costumes, beliefs, traditions and festivals.  The Kalash people are polytheists and their religion has mythical feature having a strong connection of thriving the spirituality in their soils from the universe. There is eminent importance of the music and dance in their religious obligations. Many of the people from Kalash community have accepted Islam as, Islam being the dominant religion in this area yet the remaining Kalash community believes to maintain their strong identity. Even the people who have converted themselves as Muslims are also still living nearby in the Kalash villages and carry on their language and culture.

The Kalash women ( Image: Iqbal Khatri )

The Kalash people celebrate three main festivals: Joshi, Uchau and Chawmos. Joshi is a festival held in the month of May in which the gratitude is expressed to the spring season. Uchau is conducted in autumn. The most important festival is the Chawmos which is celebrated for two weeks when winter is at its peak in the month of December. Having much of music and dancing this festival marks the end of the year’s fieldwork and harvest. Sheep and goats are sacrificed on this occasion.

A teenage group of the Kalash girls ( Image : GULSHAN AZEEZ AZEEZ )

The traditional dressing of Kalash people also have a major attraction for the tourists coming to this area. The Kalash women wear a dress containing a black robe and an embellished cap with decorations of cowrie shells, ornaments and beads. Men usually use the Pakistani shalwar kameez, while Kalash children wear small versions of adult clothing after the age of four.

The government of Pakistan has always put efforts to preserve the Kalash tribe with their genuine customs, clothes, religion and beliefs. However their populations is continuously decreasing due to the most of them are embracing Islam and presently the Kalash people are deemed as one of the world’s endangered minority communities.

The largest ethnic groups of South Africa, Zulu who are actually descended from the Nguni tribes live in South African province KwaZulu-Natal. The word Zulu denotes ‘The people of Heaven’ and their population is approximately 11 million and some of their family members also live in some parts of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. They speak Zulu language which is the most widely spoken language in South Africa and it is one of the official languages of the Republic of South Africa.

Zulu Dance Tradition

The Zulu people contributed an eminent part in the South African culture and history especially in the 19th and 20th century. During apartheid which was the governing system of South Africa between 1948 and 1994, the Zulus suffered from great racial discrimination and segregation. It was an era in South Africa when minority rule of white people was dominating and all rights of the indigenous populations were usurped. However they continued their struggles for their rights and after the election of Nelson Mandela as president of post-apartheid South Africa in 1994, the reforms were made and Zulus are identified today as the most numerous ethnic group in South Africa, and now have equal rights along with all other citizens.

Zulu religion includes belief in a creator god (Nkulunkulu), who is above interacting in day-to-day human affairs. Although due to preaching by the Christian missionaries , the most Zulus have embraced Christianity  but still they have strong faith in ancestor spirits (Amatongo or Amadhlozi), who according to them have the full control in their lives. Politically Zulus are officially ruled by the South African government but their traditional way of obeying the commands of their leader is still carried on by them.  The traditional clothing of Zulus consists of tremendous varieties and they wear in festive occasions and in cultural ceremonies.  Zulu dress is animal skins for men and skirts decorated with hardwood beads for women.

The Zulu traditional dances are also a prominent feature of their identity. The important dances of Zulus are known as ‘Reed Dance’ which is performed by young maidens to attract their king who is looking for a wife. ‘Ingoma (isizingili)’ is a form of dance performed together by boys and girls with a song and no music. ‘Ingoma (ishishameni)’ a separate dance of boys and girls with clapping.

The most well known Zulu dance is ‘Indlamu’ which is actually associated with their war habits and cultures. It is a typical male dance and reflects the real colors of Zulu culture. They dress up themselves in their conventional attires and expose their traditional weapons. The dancers engage themselves in mock combat, expressing their strength and mastery of weapons.

On the whole all of the traditions of Zulu dances are closely related to their wedding rites, the succession of a new king, the choosing of a bride, and many other important religious and cultural events.