Christianity was first introduced to the Luhya in the early 1900’s by missionaries. Today, although Christianity still has a strong base within the Luhya culture, they have maintained some of their traditional beliefs blended with their more modern biblical beliefs. The traditional Luhya religion featured animism and spirits. Funerals are held in high regard as a custom to please and honor ancestral spirits. Today, the Luhya practice Christianity and they refer to God as “Nyasaye”. They also believe in “Were” the God of Mount Elgon whom they worship using portions of the Bible to educate their converts.
The luhya dress just like Kenyans, they wear locally manufactured and imported dresses, pants, shirts and many more. Traditional clothing is usually worn during special occasions and only by certain people. In cultural dances, performers can put on feathered hats and skirts made of sisal strands. For the luhya groups that still maintain the traditional circumcision rites. During war even luhyas used to paint themselves with frightening colors and wore frightening apparel such as horns. Women never wear pants because if they wear them they are considered to be abnormal. It is particularly inappropriate for women to wear pant or a short skirt or dress in the presence of their father-in-law. Earrings, necklaces and bangles bracelets are commonly worn by women. Luhya men used to wear the skin of a goat or a calf. It was passed under one armpit and fastened with a strap over the opposite shoulder. The skin hung in this position, it was not sufficient enough to cover the whole body; what th
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