Tuesday 10 January 2023, marked the celebration of the main day of the Big Incwala in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Incwala, often translated as “Festival of the Firstfruits” the tasting of the first of the season bounty by the king is only one part of this long ritual.
Incwala takes place in the Royal Kraal for four days from the new harvest after the full moon nearest the summer solstice. Visitors interested in Eswatini culture are always welcome to attend but are required to respect tradition – ladies wear skirts and men are allowed not to wear hats unless they have traditional headdresses.
The event is a celebration that unites the country, helps gain ancestors’ blessing, sanctifies the kingship, and celebrates the beginning of the harvest season. A sequence of 3 days culminates on Big Incwala, the major day of the festival when the feasting and dancing reach a climax, and thousands of people thronging the royal parade grounds. The ceremony ends when the King of Eswatini, Mswati III, in full ceremonial dress, joins his warriors in the traditional dance and enters a unique sanctuary and after some conventional rituals, eats the first fruits of the season. The songs dances and rituals that take place inside the Royal Kraal remain a matter of utmost secrecy and may not be recorded on written down.
The final day of the Incwala Festival signifies the end of the old year and welcomes the year to come. Regiments march to a forest and return with wood, which forms a central fire in the cattle byre. Objects are burnt and dancers celebrate the future to come.
Find out more about the Incwala Festival here.