The Zulu calendar is the traditional
lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases (synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, the Gre ...
used by the
Zulu people
Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ...
of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. Its new year begins at the new moon of uMandulo(September) in the
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
.
The Zulu calendar is divided into two seasons, the summer iHlobo and Winter ''ubuSika''. The lunar seasonal calendar has 13 months that do not correspond to the months of the Gregorian calendar.
Twelve of the lunar months (''inyanga'') of the Zulu calendar have around 28 days. Zulu names for the lunar months are based on observations of nature and seasonal activities. A 13th intercalary month (') lasts four to five days.
According to Keith Snedegar, consensus was used to settle arguments over the correct month, which arose around every three years when the 12 lunar months failed to correspond to their natural markers. The extra month was sometimes referred to as ''Ndid'amDoda'' (the month that puzzles men). Scottish Free Kirk missionary James Macdonald wrote that the confusion was settled with heliacal rising of
Pleiades
The Pleiades (), also known as The Seven Sisters, Messier 45 and other names by different cultures, is an asterism and an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus. At a distance of ...
, which is associated with the month of uNhlangulana.
Months (Izinyanga Zonyaka)extra notes in zulu language
Festivals
*
Umkhosi Wokweshwama
Umkhosi Wokweshwama ("first fruits festival"), recently also known as ''Umkhosi Woselwa'' ("calabash festival"), is the annual harvest festival of the Zulu people, observed around the December solstice. It takes place at the Enyokeni Royal Pala ...
*
Umkhosi woMhlanga
* uMathayi Marula Festival - In
Umkhanyakude District, the Thembe clan harvests the
marula fruit. Older women from the clan deliver their crops to their chief.
See also
*
Xhosa calendar
The following is a list of timekeeping terminology in the isiXhosa language.
Month names Traditionally
The traditional isiXhosa names for months of the year poetically come from names of stars, plants, and flowers that grow or seasonal chan ...
*
Sesotho calendar
The Sesotho language has traditional names for the months of the familiar Gregorian calendar. The names reflect a deep connection that the Basotho people traditionally have with the natural world and the importance of agriculture.
Although the m ...
*
Shona calendar
Days
Months
The months in Shona are named after relevant events to the Shona. Things involving spiritual activities and agriculture, as well animals and fruits serve as derivatives for month names. For example, November, known as Mbudzi in S ...
*
Akan calendar
The Akan people (a Kwa group of West Africa) appear to have used a traditional system of timekeeping based on a six-day week (known as ''nnanson'' "seven-days" via inclusive counting). The Gregorian seven-day week is known as
''nnawɔtwe'' (eig ...
*
Igbo calendar
The Igbo calendar () is the traditional calendar system of the Igbo people from present-day Nigeria. The calendar has 13 months in a year (''afo''), 7 weeks in a month (''onwa''), and 4 days of Igbo market days (afor, nkwo, eke, and orie) in a wee ...
*
Yoruba calendar
The Yoruba calendar (''Kọ́jọ́dá'') is a calendar used by the Yoruba people of southwestern and north central Nigeria and southern Benin. The calendar has a year beginning on the last moon of May or first moon of June of the Gregorian cal ...
References
{{calendars
Calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physi ...
Calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physi ...
Specific calendars