Soon after birth, plants and types of animal fur specific to the child's clan are collected, burnt, and the child is made to inhale the smoke, to promote its well-being. Bride and her relatives go to groom's homestead on Friday evening. Sunday morning - bride, with her female relatives, stabs ground with a spear in man's cattle kraal, later she is smeared with red ochre. The smearing is the high point of marriage - no woman can be smeared twice. Bride presents gifts to husband and his relatives.
Funerals are important as means of the extended family meeting from time to time.
A month after the funeral they meet again to wash away the contamination of death. Praise-singers compose praises for every king, chief and prominent person. Even bus-conductors shout the praises of their bus. Using a person's surname shows more respect than using their given names. Every surname has an extension or set of praise-names which may be used to greet, thank or bid a person farewell.