Five Gullah Geechee Culture custom that might amaze you

Understanding the culture and customs of the Gullah community will help you explore the beauty of this island. We assembled five of the most amazing customs that you can know about the Gullah Geechee people.

The Gullah Geechee community has remained authentic to its beliefs since the mid-1700s. There are a lot of customs that the Gullah Geechee Culture is bound to. Let’s discuss some of the details related to the Gullah Community and its customs.

Gullah worship custom

The Gullah slaves adopted European masters' customs, but they always imbued them with an African soul. For instance, the Gullah converted to Christianity, yet their form of worship mirrored their African background. In the era of slavery, they created a ritual known as "ring shout" in which participants danced ritualistically in a circle while rhythmically banging sticks. At the ceremony's conclusion, participants experienced the Holy Spirit's power while screaming sentiments of praise and appreciation.

Gullah Burial Custom

A drum beat signals to the community that someone in the town has passed away as part of Gullah burial traditions. Mirrors are tilted toward the wall to prevent reflections of the body. The funeral party transports the body to the cemetery but stops at the gate to wait for the ancestors' permission before entering. To "break the link" and ensure that no one else in the same family will soon pass away, participants dance around the cemetery while singing and praying. The funeral party then makes its way back to town and cooks a substantial lunch, setting out a serving for the spirit of the deceased on the porch.

The Spooky side of Gullah Culture

The Gullah considers witchcraft, also known as wanga, joso, or juju, to be real. Witches are said to be able to cast spells by placing potent herbs or roots along a person's customary walking path or beneath his pillow. Special people known as "Root Doctors" or "Doctor Buzzards" are capable of dispelling curses or offering protection against witches. The Gullah also holds a belief in evil spirits that have the power to subjugate a person by seizing possession of their will.

Art and Craft in Gullah Culture

Gullah arts and crafts also have a uniquely African feel. The Gullah produced a vast range of objects, some of which were identical to West African crafts, throughout slavery and the decades of isolation that followed. Wooden mortars and pestles, rice "farmers," clay pots, , palm leaf brooms, calabash containers, baskets drums, and hand-woven indigo-dyed cotton blankets can be found in the museums of South Carolina and Georgia. Modern-day Gullah men have carried on the custom of magnificent burial monuments, human figures, and walking sticks made of wood.

Food Custom of Gullah

Due to the roots of many of their ancestors on the Rice Coast, the Gullah diet still consists mostly of rice. "Rice and greens" and "rice and okra" are two typical meals, which are comparable to plasas and rice and okra soup from Sierra Leone. Additionally, the Gullah (and other South Carolinians) prepares "red rice," which, when combined with a "gumbo" made of okra, tomatoes, fish, and spicy peppers, mimics West African jollof rice in many ways. Jollof rice is referred described as a "typical South Carolina dish" by a South Carolina writer who has traveled to West Africa. In isolated rural regions, the Gullahs also customarily prepare a thick porridge of wheat flour known as fufu and a boiling maize paste akin to agidi from Sierra Leone that is served in leaves.

These are some of the Gullah Geechee history about its culture and traditions. It sure is magical to know how they worked their way out of slavery and formed a community that has a strong foundation and cultural values.