Jumping of the Bulls This often death-defying ceremonial practice exists within the Hammer culture. Considered a rite of passage, the jumping of the bulls is a task that a Hammer boy must fulfill in order to pass from childhood to early adulthood.

Several days before the ceremony, initiates pass out invitations in the form of blades of dried grass. The ceremony stretches for three days; the most important day, however, is the final one, on which, late in the afternoon, roughly thirty live bulls are lined up shoulder to shoulder. The naked initiate rushes towards the animals and vaults onto the back of the first bull. He then runs across the bulls• backs. At the end of the line, he jumps back down onto the ground, turns around, jumps back up and repeats the performance in the other direction. If an initiate falls during this process, it is considered bad luck.

Lip Plates Made famous by anthropologists, old photos and recent National Geographic magazines, the custom of wearing lip plates is one of the distinct features of the women of the Surma and Mursi tribes in southern Ethiopia.

At an early age, a small incision is made into the girl•s bottom lip, using a small knife, the front teeth of the lower jaw are removed, and a disc of locally-derived baked clay is inserted into the incision. As the girl ages, and the bottom lip stretches with the weight of the plate, the smaller discs are removed and replaced with ever-larger discs, further stretching the lip until it becomes so distended that, as observed in some Surma women, the lip (with the plate removed) can sometimes be pulled right over the head. The discs are removed at mealtimes to allow for eating and drinking.

Various anthropological studies have been made to determine the cultural significance of the lip plates, and while several suggestions have been made, including the idea that the lip plate prevents the entry of evil spirits into the body via the mouth, and the idea that the practice was instituted to mar the appearance and hence put off slave traders looking for unblemished girls. However, the prevalent philosophy is that the size of the lip plate is representative of the wearer•s family•s wealth, and thus is indicative of her bride price; often those girls with particularly large plates bring in bride prices of over fifty head of cattle.

coffee ceremony In the country rumored to be the original source of the world's favorite beverage, consumption of coffee is an elaborate ritual. The ceremony is held at home, where fresh sweet-smelling grass is strewn on the floor to invite in the essence of nature, and traditional incense is burned. The host (usually a female of the household) sits on a stoll in front of a small metal "stove," called the bunna meq'uyah, and roasts the green coffee beans until they are suitably toasted and the fragrant smoke has perfumed the room. She then grinds the beans and brews them with water until the liquid is bubbling hot. When ready, the coffee is served, with no milk and plenty of sugar, in small demitasse-type cups, and many rounds of servings are offered. The coffee is traditionally accompanied by fendisha, or popcorn.

Scarification Also known as cicatrization, this practice is often viewed with distaste or alarm by members of the outside world; however, scarification is actually an ancient, revered custom, practiced by tribal peoples all over the world, and specifically by male and female members of the southern Ethiopian Omo tribes, including, most notably, the Bumi. With men, scarification is used to convey the warrior status of the wearer; in fact, men are not allowed to scarify themselves until they have overcome an enemy or a feared animal. The scarification of women is an aesthetic practice said to increase the wearer•s attractiveness. The process of scarification involves making many tiny little cuts in the surface of the skin, and then rubbing in some ash. The ash rubbed into the wounds causes the rising of the flesh and achieves the raised, bumpy appearance that is deemed highly desirable. The cuts are made in lots of different patterns and designs; the Bumi pierce the skin of their eyelids and cheekbones with little dots and show off larger patterns on their ribcages.