FinalAlyssa1

Tour Guide

Jamhuri Day A Kenyan tradition is Jamhuri Day. On this day, (December 12th) is a day of independence. This has been going on since 1963. If it falls on a weekend, there may be a day off the following Monday.

Kenyatta Day Kenyatta Day, (October 20th) is a day in honor of all the heroes who died fighting for independence. The holiday is named after the country’s founding president, Jomo Kenyatta.

The majority of Kenyans are Christian. Many customs and beliefs originate from an agriculture lifestyle, and contain special prayers, dances, and rituals to encourage different natural events. A tradition for the Maasai is to sacrifice a sheep before a raid.

Traditional Costumes Traditional clothing varies from region to region. Masai men, who known for their fierce warrior status, wear headdresses of lion’s manes and ostrich feathers. The Suk men wear elaborate shoulder-length chignons, jewelry from animal horns, capes made of skins, lip plugs, and pierced nose discs.

Traditional Foods

Yummy?

Yogurt Chutney  1 ½ cup of yogurt  2 tablespoons of mint, finely chopped  1 tablespoon of coriander  ½ teaspoon of salt  ½ teaspoon of sugar  Hot pepper to add taste Nyama Choma  3 pounds of beef, short ribs or spare ribs  Add salt and pepper to add taste

Common meats in Kenya are from goat, lamb, chicken, and fish.

Something weird is that Kenyans eat with different hands.

Depending on the type of food, or the family traditions, people may eat with their left or right hands. Or, they sometimes use utensils.

Christmas dinner in Kenya is likely to be fish, Nyama Choma, or goat. The Portuguese also brought oranges, lemons, pigs, and limes from China or India to Kenya. When the Portuguese arrived in 1496 on the coast of Kenya, then introduced new foods from newly discovered lands. They brought maize, bananas, pineapples, chilies, peppers, sweet potatoes, and cassava.

Although many urban Kenyans cook in modern kitchens with gas stoves, most women cook over an open fire. Many women devote their time to feed their family. Everyone eat together from the same dish.

Tough work! (at least I don’t have to participate)

Food is prepared with the same kind of tools that have been used for hundreds of years. They plow with a wooden plow to harvest their food. They also only eat 2 times a day.

Some large animals from Kenya are elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, and rhinos.

At Kenya farms have cows and bulls; they are used for their meat and their milk.

The ostrich is the largest living bird alive. Snakes have huge jaws, which let them eat large prey. When they eat something too big their jaw dislocates, it is natural for that to happen so it doesn’t hurt them. A warthog has a bunch of warts on their heads. They also prefer moist habitats with plenty of vegetation. They tend to avoid drier open areas.

The largest antelope is called an Eland. Giraffes are the tallest animal in the world. A wild pig is a giant forest hog. They can get very big. A jackal is a type of a wild dog that looks like a fox.

Zebras are very sociable animal. They often gather up in groups. They love to be together with other zebras!

Good times, Good times.

ENJOY!!!

The Kamba are considered the greatest carvers. Also, they are skilled at woodwork. Kenyans sometimes paint rock patterns. The textile design and decorative art on the coasts of Kenya make beautiful designs for Kenyans to paint.

That mask is pretty creative!

In traditional dances, Kenyans wear masks that have patterns with brilliant colors and pretty feathers. They also wear very complicated headdresses, and a lot of them are modeled after animals. In recent years, the Kenyan people have been interested in classical music, jazz, and, surprisingly, rock. They still have their traditional music, though.

A famous Kenyan artist is Jimnah Kimani. He was born in 1974, and grew up in Mombasa, Kenya. When he was finished with secondary school, he then joined the Creative Art Centre in Nairobi. He graduated with a certificate in Fine Arts. His paintings mostly show people and daily life scenes.

Soapstone, (a rosy-white material) is a common type of sculpting material. It comes from western Kenya in quarries, near where the Kisii live. The Kisii are known for their Kisii Stool, which is a stool covered with beautiful beads and colorful patterns. The soapstone is now commonly sold in North America. The soapstone can also come in a powdery form, used to paint the faces of Kenyan people for circumcisions and funerals.