UMBHACO
Xhosa tradional attire
Umbhaco is a Xhosa tradional attire made of cotton material woven into unique styles. It is worn during significant ceremonies like weddings, rite of passage as a way to honour ancestors and connect with cultural heritage. Usually, it is accompanied by beads to fully transform the regalia.
Umbhaco can be worn by all genders. In earlier times, missionaries insisted that converts to Christianity abandon indigenous fashions, so those who
maintained it could easily be distinguished from converts. Traditionalists were often given a special name. The Xhosa
term for traditionalist was amaQaba, the "Red People," because they continued to apply red ocher to their clothes and
bodies.
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