Differences exist region to region – 4 hours north (in
Manakara) there is a large celebration once every 7 yrs. But in my area, a
family or group of families, will get together in order to pay for the Doctor
to come to the town.
The first circumcision party I went to was in early
September, but this was just kicking off the season! I went to the neighboring
town with my Malagasy supervisor and his coworkers. We had missed the actual
procedure, but the party was in full swing, lasting for 2 full days, ending on
Sunday.
We greeted the president and important people of the town,
and gave an envelope of money to them. This was called “atody ny akoho” or egg
of a chicken. The amount dictates how much alcohol and food the hosts will
provide for you. For example, today our donation of over 10,000 Ar dictated a
1.5 L bottle of rhum, bottle of beer, and bottle of Limonade (Bon Bon Anglais)
with some plates of fried fish. The women beckoned me outside to dance to the
blaring loud music, while the men sat in the small huts and talked and drank.
The women’s excitement was let loose by the whoops and hollers that I received,
and of course many wide-eyed stares.
Later this month, I attended a circumcision ceremony in my
own town, 5 children were circumcised and all between the ages of 3 and 8 yrs
old. Did I mention there is no anesthesia involved in the procedure?! The
celebration began on a Thursday evening. A generator was brought and 3 light
bulbs were strung up over the wooden frames built between a cluster of houses. I
only danced a bit in the lit area, then was beckoned to join a group of women
dancing in a house (when I say house I mean open floor with woven mat -no
furniture- and cooking corner where ashes and a grill reside). We danced in a
circle, and I greeted the leader of my town. Everyone was very faly “happy” and
many extended family members where there and interested in who I was and what I
did. The party raged all night.
The next morning the procedure was underway. I heard yells
of “don’t be scared” chanted in unison by the women, which carried across town
to me in my bed, at the early hour of 5am.
I visited around 7am, congratulating (shaking hands with the
boys) and sharing coffee with the many people visiting. I danced a little and
talked with people about the absence of this type of celebration in America
until a fellow volunteer arrived. He had never seen this cultural celebration
so he joined me in giving the traditional “atody ny akoho” and we danced with my
neighbors and kids until the generator was turned off, as twilight approached.
We retired to my house across town but the townspeople drank
into the night, each small hut housing numerous guests.
The following weekend I was invited to a circumcision in the
neighboring town south of my town. It was a large celebration, more money
involved than what had occurred in my town. The surgery was done in
Farafangana, the closest large town, and the celebration was carried out the
next day.
Small paper invitations were distributed; I think I was
invited as a courtesy, being the only white person for several kilometers. Four
other people from my town were also invited to the home and hotely/epicerie
owned by the wealthy family. I suggested we walk, leaving around 9am, taking us
1 1/2hrs to get there on foot.
We entered the house, gave the atody ny akoho” and then were
led outside to a shaded table, next to the open dirt courtyard where many women
were dancing within clouds of dust they were kicking up with each step. We were
given soda, beer, and homemade moonshine (toka gasy). My table scanned the crowds
and told me about the apparently well-known pastors and educators in attendance.
Being the only white person here, I was called out to the
courtyard/dance floor by the local women, and danced with them briefly, as I
didn’t know any of them. We watched processions of women enter the gated yard, holding
a stick high for everyone to see the paper money that was attached to it. The
women sang (or rather chanted, yipped and yelped) showing off the money they
would give to the family. This I found out is called “maromanga” which
translates to “a lot of blue”, and did not happen in my town. One group of
women presented about 30.000 Ar and the other, 50.000 Ar (about). After
entering the home of the family they exited with bottles of beer and bon bon
Anglais (sweet soda) again singing and dancing in a circle throughout the
courtyard.
The final circumcision party of the “season” that I attended
was in my town, which translates to: a small affair. Three brothers underwent
the procedure and the party lasted only one day. I awoke at 4am to the calls of women running
up and down the street for cold water…for the procedure I assumed. I
congratulated and danced for only the morning, and other people visited but
only briefly. People told me this family did not have enough money to throw a
large party so that’s why it was so short and not many people hung around. The
boys lay in a corner of the house with a crisp white sheet (showing it was
purchased just for this occasion) draped over their spread legs. This was a
shield against the flies and kept the naked boys covered but cool as the day
warmed up. They were given biscuit crackers and women sat cooing over them, trying
to make them as comfortable as possible.
From what I could gather from asking people in my town, this
tradition is carried out to prevent disease, but I’m suspicious it may be a
practice the French instilled in the Malagasy.
In other areas the uncle of the boy actually eats the
foreskin once cut free. How glad I am that this
is not a practice in my area!!
