Hospitality

There are as many rules of hospitality as there are different ethnic groups. In general, the Africans are hospitable, and even if they are not really happy to see their guests, they will try to conceal it. A guest will always be offered to stay overnight, and if the bed is not very comfortable one should not complain – the hosts’ one is no better. A woman usually cooks a family dinner with a reserve, in case an uninvited guest comes. However, the Africans dislike the people who abuse hospitality. The Dan people say about those who overindulge in boarding at other people’s homes, “He is greedy as a chicken”, as chickens usually wander around looking for food.

Relations between the host and his guest are a whole code of mutual rights and responsibilities. The Manding people say, “A stranger is like a blind”. If he does not know the traditions of a village, the relations between its inhabitants, a guest may unintentionally break the rules of the etiquette or some limits. This is excusable up to a certain point. However, a good guest will try to understand the world of his hosts and to avoid blunders as much as possible. If everything goes smoothly, the relations will become permanent: when coming to a certain village or city, the person will stay in the same home. The Bamana people say, “It is better to change a town than to change a host”. Such relations are strong and pass from one generation to another.

Village festivity. The village chief greets the head of the   Department Council. Kaolin patterns on the skin of girls   is a symbol of rejoicing.  Cote d'Ivoire. The Tura.Ye. V. Perehvalskaya. 2007.		Banana leaf case for coffee grains given to visitors for chewing. Such cases were produced by noble women. Uganda, late 19th-early 20th c.