I recently heard of a Xhosa celebration called “Umpantsi webedi”, which directly translated means “under the bed”, which is where one would keep African beer while it’s fermenting. This celebration doesn’t really have a deep meaning like the kinds of celebrations Xhosa people usually have…it was just an excuse for family and friends to come together and enjoy home brewed African beer (umqombothi).
Human beings are always finding ways to be joyful and happy; it is one of the things that make us feel alive - like carnivals and festivals...for instance the Castle Lager East Cape Biltong Festival.
Now we all know that biltong came about as a means to solve the problem of preserving meat before iceboxes or fridges came around. From its humble beginning to its iconic status around the globe, biltong is a common phenomenon in restaurants, at rugby games and in lunch boxes around South Africa.
So every winter, in a little town in the Karoo, a Festival kicks off dedicated specifically to the celebration of biltong. For those two days the town of Somerset East is the most alive it’s ever been for that year. For two days, people congregate in their numbers for a celebration in the name of biltong...much like the “Umpantsi webedi” celebration in the name of African beer.
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