Major Cultural Practices of the Zulu People

The Zulu people belong to the Nguni ethnic group of Southern Africa. They're the largest ethnic group in South Africa with about 12 million people, many of whom live in KwaZulu-Natal and speak the Zulu language.
Others can be found in Zimbabwe: Mozambique, Malawi, Lesotho and Botswana. They are popular for their notable ceremonies and arts such as the Reed Dance, popularly called Umhlanga, as well as their varieties of bead work, which beyond art, is used for communication.
Although founded in 1709 by Zulu kaMalandela, it was chief Shaka, who built the nation into a powerful state in 1818.
Chief Shaka was born in 1787 and died on the 22nd of September, 1828. King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu is the monarch of the Zulu nation of South Africa. Today, Zulu people are mainly Christians, however, some still have their faith rooted in the traditional Zulu belief systems. The Zulu tribe has a naming ceremony called imbeleko, in which they introduce babies to their elders and ancestors. During the ceremony, they announce the baby`s name while a goat is slaughtered to pay homage to the ancestors. The child is then presented to the elders. This practice of slaughtering sacrificial animals to ancestors is common among the Zulus, as it transcends child-naming. From puberty to weddings, and even death, the Zulus sacrifice animals a lot. Zulu traditionalists believe that giving birth to only girls, just like childlessness, is one of the greatest of all misfortunes. They believe that no marriage is fruitful until a male child is born. The Zulu people have a puberty ceremony called umemulo which is used to initiate their young ones into adulthood. Unlike it was in the past decades, this rite is now performed solely for girls. These girls are separated from the rest of the community for a while and taken through some lessons, after which there will be a ritual killing of animals, feasting, as well as dancing.