MWAKA KOGWA
Read moreIn Makunduchi in the south of the island, this ceremony celebrates the Persian New Year. It comes from the Zoroastrian religion inherited from the Shirazians who arrived on the island in the 10th century. Here it is a syncretism with the beliefs in good and bad spirits and ancestors of the Bantu. The men sing warrior hymns and fight armed... with a banana tree stem! An incantation of wishes that must be "cleaned" for the new year. Tourists take part in the celebration, and it is said that a good Mwaka Kogwa is not done without a guest.
AÏD AL-ADHA - AÏD EL-KEBIR
Read moreThe two main Muslim holidays are Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (annual pilgrimage to Mecca). Eid al-Adha is the festival of the sacrifice of the sheep. During the four days of the festival, the people of Zanzibar go to Stone Town in the evening dressed in their best festive clothes. The women and even the little girls have their eyes made up with kohl, all wear sumptuous dresses and scarves. Eid is the occasion to celebrate an "Eid Mubarak" to everyone and to gather on the beach and at the market of Forodani.