Local customs in Lesotho

Lesotho's full name is the Kingdom of Lesotho (Soto: Mmuso wa Lesotho, English: Kingdom of Lesotho, meaning "people who speak Soto"), one of the countries in southern Africa and a member of the Commonwealth. Because its territory is completely surrounded by South Africa, it is called "National China" and is the largest country among countries in the world.

The vast majority of Lesotho's population belongs to the Bantu Basut and Zulu ethnic groups, with the rest being of Asian and European descent. Since most Lesotho people are of mixed-blooded black and white descent, customs and etiquette show unique style due to different ethnic groups and beliefs. English and Sesuta are the common languages.

Lesotho Traditional Clothing

Lesotho's traditional costumes are straw hats and blankets. Lesotho people like to wear a conical hat with five grass rings on the top, like a small flower basket. The brim of the hat is covered with decorative patterns made of local mountain grass. Locals call Basto's straw hat. It is said that the design of this straw hat was inspired by a mountain in its territory. Lesotho has many plateaus and mountains, and the temperature difference between day and night is large, so the traditional costumes of local people are blankets. When the weather is cold, the blanket can keep out the cold; when it rains, the blanket can also be used as rain gear; when sleeping, it can also be used as a cover; it is convenient and affordable.

marriage customs

In Lesotho, polygamy and monogamy coexist. But now the vast majority of people only marry one wife.

When young people in Lesotho want to get married, they don't have to be embarrassed at all. They only need to choose an early morning and drive the suckling calf to the hillside to eat grass themselves. His parents will understand what's on his mind. Once a girl is selected, the matchmaker is asked to lead a cow to matchmaking. When the matchmaker comes back, if the girl's hair is cut off and her face is still covered with shiny butter, it means that the girl has agreed to the marriage. If the girl is not satisfied with the marriage, she will wrap a thin string around her fingers, and the matchmaker will leave wisely.

The betrothal gift for marriage is calculated in terms of cattle. The man can give the woman either cattle or cash equivalent to the value of cattle. The value of the cow is not determined by the market price at the time, but by the woman's parents. On the day of the wedding, in order to show his sincerity, the groom had to make many round-trip trips to deliver the cow to the wife's house.

Since men and women have never met,"cold feet" often occur. If the man voluntarily refuses to apply butter to his wrist to express blessings, it means that the marriage is over.

The marriage customs of the Basutuo people are very special. Brides are not allowed to laugh at the wedding banquet, otherwise, they will be regarded as unfilial.

Celebration of the birth of a child

In the Kingdom of Lesotho, neighbors go to congratulate a baby once it is born. According to local custom, if it is a boy, neighbors beat his parents with sticks; if neighbors pour water on the baby's parents, it means that the newborn baby is a girl.