The return of old customs
Several pagan celebrations, banned for nearly a century, are now being revived. Thus, since its reinstatement in 2017, Umuganura, the harvest festival, has been attracting crowds every year in both urban and rural areas. Ancient gods that once fell into disuse are once again celebrated and traditional medicine is becoming popular again. Although 98% of the population is covered by compulsory health insurance, Rwandans still turn to healers who use medicinal plants and ritual incantations. The umufumu, a kind of marabout witchdoctors, travel to the villages at the request of the inhabitants to appease the spirits and to practice exorcisms. In some villages, traditional housing is making a comeback. These small huts made of branches and clay were once used as main dwellings before being replaced by houses with tin roofs. Today, it is not uncommon to see families building one at the bottom of the garden as a place of prayer and invocation of the spirits. This revival of old customs is especially evident at weddings, which are still often celebrated in the old way with Intore dancers swaying to the sound of tribal drums. The bride wears the mushanana, a traditional dress with a bustier and a stole draped over the shoulder.
The family, a central notion
The notion of family, inzu, is very important to Rwandans. In the countryside, it is not uncommon to see siblings of eight or ten. In the land of a thousand hills, a family without children is considered incomplete and even cursed. This is why a person who dies without an heir is sometimes buried with a piece of charcoal to signify that his or her memory is gone for good, while a lighted torch will precede the funeral procession of a father or mother. The Rwandan craze for large families is a problem for the government as it struggles with the country's population explosion. The authorities have repeatedly urged the population to limit the number of children to three per couple. Families with a common male ancestor form what is called an umuryango, a clan led by the oldest male. Each family knows to which clan and lineage it belongs. One of the surprising features of Rwanda is the family name. Contrary to Western custom, children do not bear the same name as their parents. Most of the time, they are given a personal name during a ceremony called kwitaizina, which usually takes place on the eighth day after birth. Family, friends, neighbors, neighborhood children, everyone is invited to participate in the kwita izina . During this big festive meeting, each participant, adult and child, gives a name to the baby. All suggestions are allowed as long as they are personalized according to the child's character, physical appearance or family history. For example, Kezia (pretty) for a girl or Mihigo (valiant) for a boy. Names referring to religion or historical figures are also allowed. One of the most common is Imana which means God. There are also many Kagame as the president. At the end of the ceremony, the parents make their choice among all the proposals and the baby is definitely baptized. As for the name, it is usually taken from the calendar of Catholic saints. Emmanuel, Leon, Augustine, Madeleine or Alice are very popular. Religious names such as John of God or Joan of Arc are also common.
A model of solidarity
Rwandans have the reputation of being shy and modest, which does not prevent them from being particularly sociable. In the cities as well as in the countryside, mutual aid and solidarity is the rule. It is not uncommon to visit one's family, to invite one's neighbors or to go to a soccer game with friends. However, the question of food and sharing meals is still delicate for some Rwandans. For centuries, the act of eating was considered a primary and dishonorable act. It was imperative to hide to eat. While it is still rare, except in Kigali, to see Rwandans eating in the street, invitations to dinner and eating out are gradually becoming more democratic. Rwandan citizens are very involved in community life. Every last Saturday of the month, they participate inumuganda, a day dedicated to community service. Waste collection, bridge building, school repair, bush clearing, all skills are put to good use. Theumuganda, enshrined in the Rwandan Constitution, is mandatory for all men and women between the ages of 18 and 60.
The call of modernity
While there is a massive revival of interest in old customs, don't think that the Rwandan people are living in the past. The entire country is looking to the future, eager for modernity and fond of new technologies. In the cities, everyone is dressed in western clothes, has the latest phone and surfs on social networks. More and more young people are studying abroad and traveling. In Kigali's discotheques, alcohol flows freely and people party until the end of the night. Rwanda is reinventing itself, dreaming of becoming a kind of African Singapore. Although it has been deeply influenced by Western culture since colonization, the country of a thousand hills also owes a great deal to its African neighbors such as Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. After the genocide, millions of exiles returned after spending months or years in these countries. In their suitcases, they brought back the English language but also a bit of the culture and way of life of these countries. Rwanda is undeniably a country of diversity.
