Zambia Festivals

Festivals and Big Events in Zambia 
by Suzie Jones

Name: Full moon
When: Once a month, every month!
Why: Visiting Victoria Falls during the full moon (and especially in the wet season) will afford you the magic of a collection of lunar rainbows dancing through the water at night.

Name: Ku-omboka festival
When: Usually at Easter if the water is high enough
Why: As the King of the Lozi people in Western Zambia, leaves his summer palace to go to his winter palace (Limulunga) The Lozi kingdom includes the fertile plains of the Upper Zambezi River that have to support a dense population of farms for most of the year. The rain and rising water levels turn them into floodplains and the king and his people leave for higher ground and the high-water winter residence on the eastern edge of the plains. The Mundili, Munanga and Kanaono are beaten as the Litunga departs and these royal war drums accompany the king on his large colourful wooden canoe punted by 96 polers. In spite of the sad subjugation of the Lozi kingdom by the Europeans the Litunga was invited to London for the coronation of King Edward VII. The uniform designed by Edward for the coronation is the one still worn by the Litunga for the yearly ceremony today.

Name: N’cwala festival
When: February 24
Why: The Paramount Chief of the Ngoni people commemorates the entrance of the Ngoni into Zambia in 1835 together with the celebration of the first fruit of the season. The local Eastern Province chiefs travel with their most accomplished dancers and the Paramount chief elects the best warrior dancers. The festival starts with the chief tasting the first fruit and then a ritual rebirth of the king which includes drinking blood of a freshly slaughtered cow as a symbol of the first harvest. Drinking beer, dancing and savouring the fruits of harvest are all important aspects of this festival.

Name: Liuwa planes migration of the wildebeest and zebra
When: November – December every year
Why: The migration from Angola to Zambia is increasing again as stability of sort is restored to Angola to 300,000 wildebeest every year. (The second largest migration in the world)

Name: Lacombe Lay Mize
When: Four or five days at the end of August
Why: This festival takes place at the palace of the senior chief - all the local people visit with the senior chief, sing, eat, drink, wear traditional dress and show off their local crafts. The flamboyant Makishi dancers perform to the delight of all people attending the fair – their extravagant costumes help to tell the story each of their dances have been narrating for many centuries.

19 March 2008