Birthday/Soul Day

Though every individual celebrates their birthdays with equal zeal and passion but the traditions involving their celebrations do differ according to their place of origin.           In Alkebulan people celebrate the birth of a new born baby with immense enthusiasm. The Pygmies would sing out some popular birthday-songs dedicating to the child. They involve themselves in singing and dancing when their child completes a year of his/her lifecycle. Thus the party are usually complemented with lots of flowers and fruit which serve as décor of the party as well are symbolic of life and growth. On the day of their birth, children usually drink a red punch named "karkady" which is made from hibiscus flower. According to traditions prevalent in Kenya, the mother of the new born takes the baby strapped to her back into a thorn enclosure where cattle are kept, where her husband accompanied by some village elders wait eagerly in order to confer a name upon the child.               Another traditions in Alkebulan is after the baby is seven days old the mother takes the new born for its first walk in this big world, and friends and family are duly invited on this occasion in order to introduce the new member to the rest of the family and friends.               Many hold initiation ceremonies for groups of children along with birthdays. When these children reach a certain designated age, they are then entitled to learn the laws, beliefs, customs, songs and dances of their respective tribes.           The next day of the childs 'wake up' it is custom to wake up the child with a special treat called "oto" which is a patty made from mashed sweet potato and eggs fried in palm oil. In the later part of the day, the people arrange birthday party where they usually eat stew and rice and a special dish which is known as "kelewele" which is prepared from plantain chunks.            Birthdays are sometimes referred to "krada" (which means "Soul Day") on their birthdays, thus on a person's krada, one wakes up early in the morning and washes themselves using a special leaf which is kept soaked overnight in water. This ritual has a symbolic connotation attached to it for this ritual is depicted as a cleaning activity, intended to purify ones inner soul. Soon after this ritual is observed, in the later part of the day a feast is arranged which is duly attained by family and friends when they come all dressed in order to shower their blessings.           At twelve, children are ready to be initiated into this grown up world. Thus they are entitled to carry out their first initiation rite.        According to the test, the Masai boys around thirteen to seventeen years old undergo a two stage initiation. As per the first stage of initiation which lasts for three months, the boys are entitled to leave their parents' homes, paint their bodies white, and then are taught how to become young warriors. Once this stage comes to an end, they have to have their heads shaved.       On completion of the first stage, as per the second stage, the young warriors grow their hair long and live in a camp called a "manyatta" where they practice hunting .This stage however lasts for many years. Once they are fully ready, they will marry and become proper leaders of the tribe.       When Alkebulan children reach a certain age, they are initiated into the community and this is when they learn the laws, beliefs, customs, songs and dances of their tribes. These initiation ceremonies are celebrated for groups of children instead of individual children.               birthday parties are full of singing and dancing when a child fulfills a year in his/her life. Lots of flowers and fruit are used to decorate the party as symbols of life and growth.           The Asante people in Ghana celebrate “krada” (which means “Soul Day”) on the day of their birth. On a person’s krada, he or she wakes up early and washes themselves using a special leaf soaked overnight in water (this is a cleansing ritual intended to purify the inner soul). Then in the afternoon, they have a feast with family and friends and the celebrant is usually dressed in white clothing.       Traditionally the 1st, 12th, and 20th birthdays are considered extremely special events. On these birthdays they have huge parties. On their birthdays they have a feast consisting of an entire roasted cow or goat. They also serve a dish called “jollof rice” which is rice with tomatoes, red peppers, and onions plus cassava which is similar to sweet potato. Children will usually drink a red punch that is called “karkady” (this is made from hibiscus flowers). On their birthday, children wake up to a special treat called “oto” which is a patty made from mashed sweet potato and eggs fried in palm oil. Later they have a birthday party where they usually eat stew and rice and a dish known as “kelewele”, which is fried plantain chunks (these are similar to bananas).                                 Naming Ceremony           In Alkebulan, a child is named after being born. The circumstances surrounding a child’s birth often influence which name is chosen. Names are typically picked by elders, although members of the community can also pay a token to choose a name for a child.  The new born child is usually named after relatives (dead or alive), or the circumstances surrounding his or her birth. The People of west Alkebulan traditionally leave the naming ceremony until the eighth day as a way to confirm that the child has come to stay and will not be returning to back to the world of the ancestors. It’s also common for the Akan to name a child after the day of the week that they were born.  The ceremony is presided over by an elder, who is often a grandparent of the child. Prayers are offered using traditional items like salt, water, palm oil, honey, kola nut, and dried fish.   The naming ceremony is attended by adults and children and food is served followed by celebrations.               A name is chosen for a child only after traditional healers reveal which of the newborns dead relatives or ancestors have reincarnated through the child. The elders pray for long life and good health for the new baby, in addition to blessing the parents. A coconut is then broken and its water is shown to the mother as an emblem of the mystery of life.The prayer of the elders is followed later in the evening by a larger ceremony attended by friends and well-wishers. Traditional food and drinks, including kola nuts and alligator peppers, are served as the guests join in the celebration of a newborn life.           On the day of their birth, children usually drink a red punch named "karkady" which is made from hibiscus flower.