The havoria is a tradition of Mahafaly and Antandroy tribes to mark important life events. The ritual of havoria is impeccably regulated, whether it is for a collective circumcision or a funeral. The same principle is applicable to all havoria rituals. There are three stages before arriving at the event for which it was held.

Let us consider the case of a collective circumcision of the children in a village. The first stage of the havoria is the milahatse (consultation meeting), which consists in bringing together the members of the families whose children are to be circumcised. During this time, the boys are taken to the hazomanga, the sacred wood of the ancestors. The family will then meet with the mpitak'hazomanga or mpisorona— the village elder— to ask for his blessing to hold the savatse. It is only there that the preparations begin. This would last about three weeks.

Then comes the second stage. During the first week, the organizers proceed to the orik'andro (lunar calendar) which consists in consulting a mpanandro (diviner) who will designate the best timing for the event. The mpanandro indicates the favorable days by considering the course of the Malagasy lunar month which contains 28 days associated with 28 fates, based on the day of birth of the children concerned.

The third step of the process is the vara or talily. This is when the event is announced to all the villagers. When we use the term vara, it means that the guests must bring zebus as enga (gift). If the organizers use the term talily, the guests have to give away money instead.

The festival lasts about a week and is held in December. The guests are welcomed with a big feast, orchestra and of course liters of toaka gasy (artisanal rum).  When the day of the circumcision arrives, the little boys are presented before the hazomanga. The antsiva, a kind of conch shell, is blown to call all the maternal uncles who must each bring a zebu and katrafay wood, reputed to be strong. Then comes the time of the Jihe, a kind of song and dance with a somewhat military rhythm. When the time for circumcision comes, they plant the katrafay near the hazomanga to tie up the zebus.  They take honey and voanemba (grain) and make the to-be-circumcised kids eat them. If the children vomit, their maternal uncle must buy a zebu. This ritual consists in testing the strength of the little boy whose courage will soon be put to the test.

Sources: Finainga, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rakibolana Malagasy