Umembeso
The Zulu gift-giving visit in which the groom's family brings blankets and gifts to the bride's family.
Also: umbeleko
Umembeso is a stage of a Zulu wedding in which the groom's family comes to the bride's home with gifts for her relatives, such as blankets, cloth, tobacco and food, after the lobola is settled. The groom's relatives often sing and dance as they arrive, and the bride's side receives them with their own dances. Each gift is given to a particular relative, for instance a blanket for the bride's father. It is a way of thanking and honouring the family, and today many families add modern gifts.
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa