Throughout my time in Malawi, I've been looking forward to attending a traditional wedding. This past weekend, George, a UNC Project coworker and volleyball teammate, got married to his new bride Madalitso and it was one of the highlights of my time here. Not only did I get to attend a Malawian wedding, but it was also for someone who I know well and who has often laughed at my (lack of) volleyball skills.
The main event of a Malawian wedding is perikani, which roughly translates to "sharing" in Chichewa. For hours, various groups of people are called up by an MC to share money with the bride and groom by literally throwing it around. There are official "cashiers" whose job it is to go around picking up the kwacha before the wind blows it away. They would also help the guests exchange larger bills for smaller bills, the largest being 1,000 MWK ($1.47) and the smallest being 20 MWK (3 cents), so that more bills could be thrown around.
I had heard about this custom and fully expected everything that happened, but I was still uncomfortable. In my experience, the average Malawian is pretty focused on money: most people don't have nearly as much expendable income as I'm used to in the United States. I've spoken with several coworkers who are supporting 7 or more family members with their income.
I see how often Malawians focus on money and often in a negative context: not having enough money for transport to the hospital, for food for their family, for extra expenses that come up. I wanted them to stop thinking about money and to celebrate the wedding. Does everything have to be focused on kwacha?
But then I remembered how much my American perspective was creeping in. For the guests, they weren't thinking about the money they were throwing in relation to their expenses. They threw the money in celebration of the couple, to show how excited they were for their life together. At the end of the day, paper kwacha for expenses or for celebration is still paper, but it can take on a very different meaning.
So I got up a few times and threw my kwacha. Each throw meant so little to me monetarily - 3 cents for each 20 kwacha bill - and so much to the average Malawian who lives on a dollar per day. But in that moment, we weren't thinking about any alternative uses for the money - the sole purpose was to celebrate the happy couple.
The main event of a Malawian wedding is perikani, which roughly translates to "sharing" in Chichewa. For hours, various groups of people are called up by an MC to share money with the bride and groom by literally throwing it around. There are official "cashiers" whose job it is to go around picking up the kwacha before the wind blows it away. They would also help the guests exchange larger bills for smaller bills, the largest being 1,000 MWK ($1.47) and the smallest being 20 MWK (3 cents), so that more bills could be thrown around.
I had heard about this custom and fully expected everything that happened, but I was still uncomfortable. In my experience, the average Malawian is pretty focused on money: most people don't have nearly as much expendable income as I'm used to in the United States. I've spoken with several coworkers who are supporting 7 or more family members with their income.
I see how often Malawians focus on money and often in a negative context: not having enough money for transport to the hospital, for food for their family, for extra expenses that come up. I wanted them to stop thinking about money and to celebrate the wedding. Does everything have to be focused on kwacha?
But then I remembered how much my American perspective was creeping in. For the guests, they weren't thinking about the money they were throwing in relation to their expenses. They threw the money in celebration of the couple, to show how excited they were for their life together. At the end of the day, paper kwacha for expenses or for celebration is still paper, but it can take on a very different meaning.
So I got up a few times and threw my kwacha. Each throw meant so little to me monetarily - 3 cents for each 20 kwacha bill - and so much to the average Malawian who lives on a dollar per day. But in that moment, we weren't thinking about any alternative uses for the money - the sole purpose was to celebrate the happy couple.