Shona cultural customs, traditions, and etiquette vocabulary, one custom or term per card.
32 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- Kuchema mazita
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The custom of greeting elders formally by praising their clan totem before speaking to them.- Mutupo
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A clan totem, usually an animal, that identifies a family lineage and marriage rules.- Roora
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The bride price paid by a groom's family to the bride's family as part of a traditional marriage.- Kugamuchira vaeni
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The custom of warmly welcoming guests, usually by offering them water and food soon after they arrive.- Kupfugama
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Kneeling, a traditional sign of respect used especially by women when greeting elders or serving food.- Kuombera
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Clapping hands in a specific rhythm as a greeting or sign of respect and gratitude.- Sadza nemuriwo
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The everyday staple meal of sadza served with a vegetable or meat relish, central to Shona daily life.- Mbira
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A traditional thumb piano made of metal keys on a wooden soundboard, central to Shona spiritual and ceremonial music.- Bira
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A traditional overnight ceremony with mbira music and dancing, held to communicate with ancestral spirits.- Vadzimu
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Ancestral spirits believed to protect and guide the living family.- Mhondoro
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A powerful ancestral lion spirit and its medium, historically consulted for guidance on major community matters.- Kurova guva
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A ceremony held about a year after a death to bring the deceased's spirit back into the family as an ancestor.- Chinamwari
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Traditional teachings once given to young women preparing for marriage and adult responsibilities.- Kurambidza
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A cultural taboo or prohibition, often about food, behavior, or contact with certain relatives.- Chisi
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A traditionally observed rest day when farming work is avoided out of respect for local custom.
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