Reed Dance Ceremony

Description

The Reed Dance Ceremony is an annual event sponsored by the honorable Zulu King, where Zulu women are taught the meaning of ethics, good morals, life principles, and appropriate etiquette. The celebration includes dancing, music, drumming, and fabulous food. The event is a colourful cultural celebration that promotes the custom of abstinence until marriage.

The current Zulu king has 13 wives, and traditionally he receives a new wife annually at the Reed Dance ceremony. However, in light of the current HIV statistics, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu has continued to perform the ceremony, but rather than take a new wife he has used the ceremony to promote abstinence using marriage as a way of preserving Zulu culture while preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Sadly, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the province is the highest in the country at almost 40% infection.