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Umchwasho
 
 
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Umchwasho is a tradition
Tradition

The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem, acc. of traditio which means "handing over, passing on", and is used in a number of ways in the English language:...
al chastity
Sexual abstinence

Sexual abstinence is the practice of voluntarily refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity.Common reasons for practicing sexual abstinence include:...
 rite
Rite

A rite is a subsesquitent contemporary file of complaints that are sent to the secretary of taste and is a jeremiah was a bull frog.Rites fall into three major categories:...
 in Swaziland
Swaziland

The Kingdom of Swaziland is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south, and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique....
. While the rite is active, unmarried women are not allowed to have sexual relations and must wear a traditional set of tassels. The tassels are usually made of wool
Wool

Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells, called follicles, of animals in the Caprinae family, principally domestic sheep, but the hair of certain species of other Mammalia such as cashmere goat, llamas, rabbits and keeshonds may also be called wool....
 and are worn around the neck like a scarf
Scarf

A scarf is a piece of fabric worn on or near the head or around the neck for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religion reasons....
. Girls aged 18 and under must wear blue-and-yellow tassels and are not allowed any physical contact with males. Those aged 19 or over must wear red-and-black tassels and are allowed some physical contact with males but not sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which the Penis enters the Vagina. The two entities may be of opposite sexes or not, or they may be hermaphrodite, as is the case with snails....
.






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Umchwasho is a tradition
Tradition

The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem, acc. of traditio which means "handing over, passing on", and is used in a number of ways in the English language:...
al chastity
Sexual abstinence

Sexual abstinence is the practice of voluntarily refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity.Common reasons for practicing sexual abstinence include:...
 rite
Rite

A rite is a subsesquitent contemporary file of complaints that are sent to the secretary of taste and is a jeremiah was a bull frog.Rites fall into three major categories:...
 in Swaziland
Swaziland

The Kingdom of Swaziland is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south, and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique....
. While the rite is active, unmarried women are not allowed to have sexual relations and must wear a traditional set of tassels. The tassels are usually made of wool
Wool

Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells, called follicles, of animals in the Caprinae family, principally domestic sheep, but the hair of certain species of other Mammalia such as cashmere goat, llamas, rabbits and keeshonds may also be called wool....
 and are worn around the neck like a scarf
Scarf

A scarf is a piece of fabric worn on or near the head or around the neck for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religion reasons....
. Girls aged 18 and under must wear blue-and-yellow tassels and are not allowed any physical contact with males. Those aged 19 or over must wear red-and-black tassels and are allowed some physical contact with males but not sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which the Penis enters the Vagina. The two entities may be of opposite sexes or not, or they may be hermaphrodite, as is the case with snails....
. Those that are caught going against umchwasho are fined one animal (typically a cow).

The most recent period of umchwasho ran between 9 September 2001 and 19 August 2005. King Mswati III
Mswati III of Swaziland

Mswati III of Swaziland is the monarch of Swaziland, and head of the Swazi Royal Family. In 1986, he succeeded his father, Sobhuza II of Swaziland, as absolute monarch; and in 2005, his role was modified only slightly as a constitutional monarch in the small southern African state....
 imposed the ban in an effort to help stop the spread of HIV
HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that can lead to AIDS , a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections....
 and AIDS
AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the HIV ....
, which is particularly prevalent in the country. It was originally intended to last five years but was withdrawn one year early without any stated reason, though the ban had faced strong opposition and many women refused to wear the required woolen scarf. The King also drew criticism when he married during the period, fining himself one cow for breaking the rules. When the rite ended the tassels were burnt in a large ceremony.