When a baby is six or seven months old, tradition dictates that the curls be cut for the first time. This is the ceremony of alavolon-jaza at the end of which the hair is mixed with food and served to the guests.
While in other cultures, cutting a child's hair for the first time is a harmless event, in Madagascar, especially in the central highlands, it should not go unnoticed. The ceremony of alavolon-jaza (first cut) is as important as that of famorana (circumcision) or vodiondry (traditional marriage). This is why all relatives, friends and acquaintances must be kept informed of the event.
This remains true today, and not only in the most remote countryside.
Some specialists believe that the ancients waited for the alavolon-jaza to give the child a personal name. After being given a name, the child became a member of the group in their own right and could now be buried in the family tomb. It is also on this occasion that the baby eats food other than mother’s milk for the first time. For example, they are given a little porridge. A point to note is, to be considered lahy (male), little boys still have to undergo circumcision.
How the ceremony typically unfolds.
Around 8 o'clock in the morning, all the guests—about ten people including grandparents, uncles and aunts and a handful of friends— are present on the premises and will bring gifts such as combs, caps, or hair clips. At 9:00 a.m., it's time to get down to business, because everything must happen in the morning. The father of the child hands the scissors to a pretty young woman in her twenties with an impeccable hairstyle.
According to tradition, the parents choose a hairdresser blessed with a hair as beautiful and neat as the hair wished for their child. The cut only takes a few minutes. The hair is then scattered on cooked rice spread on a van. Malagasy people believe that the cut hair brings blessings, especially for women who wish to have a child. At 11 o'clock, at the grandfather's signal, women who want to get pregnant rush to the rice in the hope that this food will enable the process.
Sources: Studio Sifaka, Teny Malagasy, University Libraries and Archives, Rakibolana
An initiative by
Funding provided by
AmCham sponsors
Disclaimer:
This website was funded by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.
