Culture

Zambian culture is a mixture of traditions from all 73 Zambian tribes influenced by practices from other countries.

African Elegance:

Kitwe fashion

Fashion That Pays Tribute to Wax Prints and Precious Materials ‍ African fashion has always been a reflection of the continent’s rich cultural heritage, and one of its most recognizable features is the use of wax prints and precious materials. These fabrics and materials have been used for centuries to create stunning garments that pay…

73 Ways to Say Hello – Bemba Lesson 34

Villagers greeting each other

It is commonly known that Zambia has 73 languages. If you are like me, you will be familiar with a handful of them but not all of them. I don’t know of anyone who understands all 73 languages. When it comes to greetings, however, we can make some progress by pooling together and teaching each…

Bemba Lesson 33 – The Head – Umutwe

Umutwe - The Head

ENGLISH BEMBA BEMBA (Singular) (Plural) Head Mutwe Mitwe Hair Mushishi Mishishi Grey hair Lufwi Mfwi Body hair Ipipi Bupipi Bald patch Pala Mapala Forehead Mpumi Mpumi Crease Lukanshi Nkanshi Eye Linso Menso Eyelash Lukopyo Nkopyo Eyelid Cipa ca linso Fipa fya menso Eyebrow Cikumbi Fikumbi Jaw Isaya Masaya Tears Cilamba Filamba Nose Môna Myona Ear…

“GOING TO THE MOUNTAIN”

man in black dress shirt kneeling on bed

By John Katebe  In certain Christian circles, we hear talk about going to the mountain to pray. In fact, in almost every town in Zambia, there are a number of Christians who habitually go to some local mountain for the purpose of prayer and fasting. Going to the mountain, however, has two meanings – one…

The Bemba Heritage Facebook Page

By Dewet - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66978

Ukusefya pa Ng’wena-Bemba Cultural Identity If you want to find out more about some of the Bemba traditions from the past, The Bemba Heritage Facebook Page is a chronicle of traditional culture and wisdom of the Bemba people of Zambia.  The following are some of the topics currently covered: BEMBA INITIATION SONGS: THE FIRST DAY…

Bemba Lesson 31: Welcoming The In-laws

pexels-august-de-richelieu-4261791

Welcoming the in-laws can be a daunting experience. Welcoming them in a second language adds to the excitement! As in other situations where a person makes an effort to communicate in the other person’s language, this creates a sense of appreciation of the effort you are putting in. You don’t have to be perfect to…