Saturday's cavalcades

Saturday's cavalcades Saturdays in South Africa’s townships is the big day for weddings and funerals. A noisy, exuberant, hooting procession of cars, with bridesmaids leaning and waiving out of car windows heralds the joyous wedding party en-route to the church. By contrast, the long, somber funeral party procession drives slowly and respectfully to the often large communal township cemetery.The cavalcade will be joining hundreds of funerals taking place at the cemetery that day. Multiple graves are dug in preparation the week before. Occasionally, the different cavalcades pass each other visually representing some kind of “rites of passage” ritual. Flowers and being as well-dressed as can be are the common themes of both parties; women wearing best frocks and hats, men wearing polished shoes and suites or at the least, their best clothes. For flowers, it is bouquets and confetti for the wedding parties, and large display bunches and often sprinkled flowers for the other.