Next: about 23 Jul 2027
Mwaka Kogwa
The Shirazi new year of Zanzibar: a mock fight with banana stalks, a hut set alight, and a feast at Makunduchi.
When is Mwaka Kogwa in 2027?
Mwaka Kogwa 2027 is on Friday, 23 July 2027. The date follows the moon or a local calendar, so it can move by a day. Other years: 2026, Thursday, 23 July 2026; 2028, Sunday, 23 July 2028.
About Mwaka Kogwa
Mwaka Kogwa is the Shirazi new year, celebrated in Makunduchi on the south of Zanzibar's main island at around the end of July. Its roots are in the Persian Nowruz, brought by traders and settlers who came from Shiraz. The main event is a playful fight, in which men from two parts of the village, wielding banana stalks, strike one another, in a way that is meant to release the year's grievances, though injuries are rare. A small hut of thatch is then set alight by a respected elder, a sign of leaving behind the old year and starting afresh. Women in colourful kanga and kikoi fabric sing songs of the new year, while there are drummers, and the community shares a feast of rice and fish.
Mwaka Kogwa dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Mwaka Kogwa date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Thursday, 23 July 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday, 23 July 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, 23 July 2028 |
This date follows the moon or a local calendar and can move by a day, so check with a local source nearer the time.
What is eaten
- pilau
- fish
- coconut sweets
Traditions of Mwaka Kogwa
Also part of it, and being written: Shirazi people (The community of the island.), Kanga (The cloth worn.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Mwaka Kogwa" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.