nPostednon April 16, 2014
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nThousandsnof people flock to Zambia in the middle of April for thisnfestival…to hear the royal Maoma drumming, to watch the boatmen,nand to enjoy the singing. n
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nSeveralndifferent sources say that this is the biggest and best-knownntraditional ceremony in the country. And it all has to do withnwater…
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nYounsee, every year the Zambezi River floods the farmlands, making thenplains into a giant but shallow lake. Naturally, the people have tonmove to higher ground – and this even includes the Lozi king. Thenking, his family, and his entourage travel on a hugenblack-and-white-striped barge to the rainy-season palace. n
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nThenfestival name, Kuomboka, is very literal, since it means “to movenout of the water.”
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Infound it interesting that the Lozi have a legend that is similar tonthe Jewish people’s Noah’s Ark story. The story is set a long timenago, during the first chief’s reign; there came a huge flood thatnkilled all the animals and swept away every farm. Some people were inntheir canoes but were frightened of paddling such small craft in suchna big flood, so the high god Nyambe ordered a man named Nakambela tonbuild a great canoe so that all the people could escape the flood.
Infound it interesting that the Lozi have a legend that is similar tonthe Jewish people’s Noah’s Ark story. The story is set a long timenago, during the first chief’s reign; there came a huge flood thatnkilled all the animals and swept away every farm. Some people were inntheir canoes but were frightened of paddling such small craft in suchna big flood, so the high god Nyambe ordered a man named Nakambela tonbuild a great canoe so that all the people could escape the flood.n
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nBynthe way, I found it interesting that the Lozi king starts thenceremony dressed in traditional dress, but during the journey henchanges into the full uniform of a British admiral. The first ofnthese British uniforms was presented to the Lozi king by King EdwardnVII in 1902 in recognition of the treaties between the Lozi and QueennVictoria.
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nLearnnmore about Zambia at Our Africa.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nCanenand Derby Day
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nBritishnMuseum founder Hans Sloane’s birthday
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nEmancipationnDay in the U.S.
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nApriln holidays
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nMayn holidays
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nMayn birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in May
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