. Religion
Miscegenation in urban areas has promoted the disappearance of some traditions, associated with religion, the most recurring within South Africa are those that have to do with marry or have more than one wife at a time.
Most inhabitants are Christianity of some of the cults of the Catholic Church, Anglican, Protestant, Calvinist Afrikaner or African Independent Churches. There are also significant Hindu communities, Muslim and Jewish. Indigenous religions are deeply rooted and often practiced together with Christianity.
South Africa has a broad mix of religions. Some religions are based in ethnic and regional areas of South Africa’s population. The immense majority of South Africans are Christians. The South African government has actively promoted particular Christian beliefs during the twentieth century, but there is no official state religion or whatsoever substantial government inhibition concerning religious beliefs.
The most prominent instituted Christian denominations rooted from European colony. About 80% of all South Africans are Christians, and most are Protestants. More than 8 million are members of African Independent churches, which have at least 4,000 congregations. The denomination generally holds a combination of traditional African and Protestant beliefs. The other large Protestant denomination, the Dutch Reformed Church, has about 4 million members in several branches. It arrived in South Africa in the 17th century.
The other major religions are Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and Bahá’í Faith. Hinduism was introduced by the bound servants transferred from the Indian subcontinent. Islam was introduced through Cape Malay slaves of the Dutch colonists. Muslims dominate around 30 to 40 countries from the Atlantic to the Pacific. In 1990s, Muslim community in South Africa has a population of around 400,000 and gaining new members, particularly among black South Africans. The majority of Muslims are Indian ancestry. Some live in or close to Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Buddhism was introduced by some Chinese and Indian immigrants. The Bahá’í Faith was introduced in 1911.
Religion | Nº | % |
Cristian | 35 750 636 | 79,8% |
Judaism | 75 555 | 0,2% |
Hinduism | 551 669 | 1,2% |
Islam | 654 064 | 1,5% |
Other | 283 814 | 0,6% |
No religion | 6 767 165 | 15,1% |
Not determinated | 610 971 | 1,4% |
Total | 44 819 778 |
Some of the rituals:
Marriage
The search of a husband for a girl begins from birth, marriage repaired by parents: it is about years of exchange (gifts before children get married)
The parents of the man approaching the woman’s mother and make the proposal of marriage, sealed the deal through Kamasi (exchange of gifts between the bride and groom’s parents)
- Marriage “by catch” or Kung: Attempt to express the real conflict between husband and wife and between parents and children during the wedding Kung simulates the girl is taken to the strength of the home of his parents to another built for the occasion. They anoint the bodies of the couple with special oils and aromatic powders. Marriage begins as an unwanted situation. Normal Kung Marriage has many aspects of marriage-by-capture, an ancient and controversial marriage in which the groom to the bride steals. With this ritual expressing the real conflict between husband and wife and between parents and children.
- Polygamy is allowed and what men want, but wives generally oppose it.
- Polyandry is less common and is considered an irregular union and non-sexual. When there is between older people and non-fertile ages
Traditional circumcision:
Step of young adults.
It occurs when the parent decides the child is ready to go to the “cabin”
It lasts six weeks
His goal is for the youth to learn the traditions of their ethnicity, this preparation ends with circumcision
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