Customs
Greetings:
It is important for Equatoguineans to have a proper greeting, making them rather lengthy. After shaking hands, Equatoguineans tend to stand close to one another and remain holding or touching hands for the remainder of the conversation. They also have high levels of respect for elders, professionals, and other persons higher then they are.
Family Life:
Family life is different for the different clans living in Equatorial Guinea. For those living in the Fang clan, most men tend to marry outside of Fang. Polygamy, or having more than one wife, is common as well. Men in the Bioko clan stay within their clan when marrying. Their clan is also matriarchal, meaning they trace the mother's lineage rather than the fathers. This makes it more important to have girls, in order to carry on your families blood line.
Clothing:
Clothing in Equatorial Guinea is similar to what is found in western countries, such as America and Europe. For those who can afford it, men wear three piece suits and women wear a blouse and skirt. Children wear shorts or pants and a t-shirt.
Rights of Passage:
Equatoguineans have a very different look on death. They believe in not only after death, or heaven, but also in reincarnation. In order to announce the death of someone, they will beat a drum in front of the community at dusk and dawn. Once the funeral starts, no one can work until it is completed. At the beginning of the ceremony, an elder will pick a women to wash the body in embalm, a red cream. After this all adults except pregnant women must participate in the ceremony by singing and dancing while walking to the gravesite. During this time they will kill a male goat and pour it's blood over the body. Upon arrival to the gravesite, they put the body in the grave in fetal position, allowing for rebirth. They place personal items and valuables in the grave for the soul to use in afterlife. They then cover the grave, and place a sacred treed branch as a marker.
It is important for Equatoguineans to have a proper greeting, making them rather lengthy. After shaking hands, Equatoguineans tend to stand close to one another and remain holding or touching hands for the remainder of the conversation. They also have high levels of respect for elders, professionals, and other persons higher then they are.
Family Life:
Family life is different for the different clans living in Equatorial Guinea. For those living in the Fang clan, most men tend to marry outside of Fang. Polygamy, or having more than one wife, is common as well. Men in the Bioko clan stay within their clan when marrying. Their clan is also matriarchal, meaning they trace the mother's lineage rather than the fathers. This makes it more important to have girls, in order to carry on your families blood line.
Clothing:
Clothing in Equatorial Guinea is similar to what is found in western countries, such as America and Europe. For those who can afford it, men wear three piece suits and women wear a blouse and skirt. Children wear shorts or pants and a t-shirt.
Rights of Passage:
Equatoguineans have a very different look on death. They believe in not only after death, or heaven, but also in reincarnation. In order to announce the death of someone, they will beat a drum in front of the community at dusk and dawn. Once the funeral starts, no one can work until it is completed. At the beginning of the ceremony, an elder will pick a women to wash the body in embalm, a red cream. After this all adults except pregnant women must participate in the ceremony by singing and dancing while walking to the gravesite. During this time they will kill a male goat and pour it's blood over the body. Upon arrival to the gravesite, they put the body in the grave in fetal position, allowing for rebirth. They place personal items and valuables in the grave for the soul to use in afterlife. They then cover the grave, and place a sacred treed branch as a marker.