Celebrating Rights of Passage with the Maasai

Celebration of Maasai Life Highly-celebrated life event ceremonies are an intricate part of the Maasai culture, and on these special days we drive you to a village in a rural area on the outskirts of Nairobi. The village elder will give you a tour and explain how the Maasai have managed these precious lands for centuries, and you will be dressed in a traditional Maasai shuka cloth or ‘African blanket’ in preparation for the ceremony that is taking place that day. Celebrations - Maasai Males Several rites of passage relate to males as they go through the stages of being a Maasai moran, or warrior, between 14—30 years-old. These brave and strong young men defend their families, village and cattle, and three of the important ones are: Enkipaata, the induction of boys leading to initiationof being a moran; Eunoto, the shaving of heads of the morani paving the way to adulthood; and Olng’esherr, the meat-eating ceremony that marks the end of being a moran and the beginning of them engaging in the community’s decision-making to prepare them as future elders. Celebrations - Naming Ceremonies Also important is the Maasai baby naming ceremony, known as Enkipukonoto Eaji. When a child is born, he/she is not given an official name and for up to the first three years is called the embolet, meaning ‘an opening’. In the ceremony, which bestows a great deal of honour on the mother and child, the new name is based on the baby’s personality from birth. Celebrations – Weddings And then there are the weddings, and marriage in Maasai culture is a very important and elaborate affair that incorporates many traditional customs. The female family members of the bride dress and adorn her in beautiful beadwork, there’s a procession from the girl’s home to the husband’s enkang (enclosure), the bride and groom are blessed and washed with milk, and the families share ceremonial honey beer. There are also pre-wedding celebrations roughly equivalent to bachelors’ or hens’ informal get-togethers. Which ever ceremony you attend, you can expect a fun-filled day, try some delicious Kenyan food, listen to the Maasai’s stories, beliefs and ideas, and join in the lively and infectious singing and dancing, which includes the extraordinary jumping dance or adumuas the morani demonstrate their prowess. You will learn so much from participating in these events, and enjoy the party as the Maasai respectfully honour their strong, wise and highly revered members of their community at these life-affirming rites of passage.