Makua woman. Photo: Wiki CC
The Ikahi ritual
In the Makua tribe of Mozambique, pregnancy is considered sacred and a pregnant couple needs to attend a vital ritual called the Ikahi. This is a ritual conducted to teach the expectant couple how to protect the pregnancy and the ethics to follow until the baby is born.
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Only women and the pregnant woman’s husband are allowed in the Ikahi ritual. The couple gets ‘briefings’ on how to conduct themselves throughout the pregnancy and what to expect during delivery. While briefings also come with a number of restrictions including that the couple should not have an affair, that the woman should not attend funerals and that the husband should not dig graves in the duration of the pregnancy.
