What you Need to Know Before you Marry From Zambia – Marriage Culture

Zambia, a country in southern Africa, has a complex and fascinating culture, one facet of which is its unusual marriage customs. People place a high emphasis on marriage because of its hallowed status in Zambian culture. The Bemba, Tonga, Lozi, and Ngoni are just a few of the Zambian ethnic groups with vastly differing approaches to marriage.

The groom’s family traditionally gives presents to the bride’s family at the wedding ceremony of the Bemba people, a custom known as “Ukupika.” However, the Tonga people observe a tradition known as “Kuvala,” in which the groom’s family pays a bride price to the bride’s family. The Lozi have a tradition known as “Kuomboka,” in which the bride moves out of her family’s house and into her husband’s. The Ngoni people have a tradition called “Kulamba,” which entails the families of the bride and groom exchanging presents and performing a dance to commemorate the wedding.

Zambian marriage customs share many parallels with other cultures despite these distinctions. For instance, marriage is viewed as uniting two families, not simply two people, across many cultures. In addition, most societies view marriage as a permanent union and frown upon any attempts at dissolving it.

In conclusion, the marriage customs of Zambia are interesting and varied among the many ethnic groups. The parallels and variations highlight the centrality of marriage as a holy institution in Zambian society.