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

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

Yummy?

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!

ENJOY!!!

Good times,

Good times.

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.

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.

That mask is

pretty

creative!

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.