Ebisu Festival
The Ebisu Festival is a traditional celebration of the Bagisu people (also known as the Gisu) of eastern Uganda, and it is associated with the imbalu circumcision ceremony. The imbalu is the rite of passage for young Bagisu men, and it is one of the most dramatic and intense coming-of-age ceremonies in Africa. AHA! moment: The imbalu circumcision is performed without anesthesia, and the young man must not flinch or show pain. If he does, he brings shame to his entire family. The ceremony is public : the entire village watches : and the men dance, sing, and drink before the circumcision. The imbalu is not just a physical transformation. It is a spiritual transformation, and the young man is reborn as an adult. The imbalu season is from August to December, and it is one of the most important cultural events in eastern Uganda. . 2026: Apr 5. 2027: Mar 28.
