30 June 2017

Swaziland: The dates of the Reed Dance 2017 have been announced!

Swaziland Tourism has confirmed the dates of the 2017 Reed Dance. The biggest cultural event in Swaziland is set to start on 29 August 2017, with the main day (Day 7) set to take place on 04 September 2017. It will be on this day when the main ceremony occurs, with the dancing attended by King King Mswati III. 04 September 2017 will be a public holiday in Swaziland.

Swaziland Reed Dance

The Reed Dance ceremony, also known as "umhlanga", is a centuries old tradition where the Swaziland's unmarried and childless females present their newly cut reed to the Queen Mother to protect her residence. The highlight of the event is the reed-giving ceremony. Tens of thousands of maidens from Swaziland, led by Swazi princesses, gather at the Queen Mother's royal village, the Ludzidzini Royal Residence in Lobamba, dressed in traditional attire; bright short beaded skirts with colourful sashes revealing their bare breasts to dance and sing and celebrate the unification of the Kingdom’s women. King Mswati lll, who sometimes makes use of the occasion to publicly court a prospective fiancĂ©e, joins the celebrations to pay tribute to the maidens.

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