Belief and respect in the power of blessing
Malagasy people believe blessings from older family members – parents or grandparents – because to them it keeps curses away and that power behind the blessings makes them successful in all they do.
This is known as “Ny tso-drano zava-mahery”, which literally means “blessings are powerful”. For instance, it is not uncommon to go for blessings before an exam or before a business trip.
