The complex origin of the Malagasy people has created all sorts of particular customs. Despite the numerous ethnic groups and a sort of clan system, the whole country uses the same language and the belief in the power of the ancestors is spread all over the island.

Although traditional beliefs recognise the existence of one God, omnipresent and omnipotent, called "Andriamanitra" (literally the perfumed or sweet-smelling Lord) or "Andriananahary" (The Lord Creator), worship is turned more to the divine ancestors or "Razana". Ancestor worship is a celebration of "the science of life", as the dead have power and defend life on earth, both material and spiritual. Every ancestor keeps their individuality and family ties. Their power is revealed through "sacred orders" who speak of the political, cultural, economic and social organisation of the family or community.

Belief is that some misfortunes, such as accidents or illness are caused by ignoring the ancestors. Misfortune is justice dealt by the ancestors on those who violate a "fady" (tabou), for example. At every life milestone event (building of a house, or making of a canoe, a wedding, etc.), the "Razana" will be consulted and invoked. Animals or birds (chicken or zebu) or food (rum, honey, etc.) will be offered as sacrifice or libation. To give you an idea to what extent these sorts of practices are deeply anchored in all society, the inaugural flight of Air Madagascar, the National Airline's Boeing 747 was preceded by a sacrifice of zebu to wish a long life to the aircraft as well as its passengers.

Apart from traditional religion, there are about 50% of Malagasy are Christian, who are distributed into 4 main denominations. As well as this, there are 200 000 Muslims, who are largely based on the west coast and in the capital.
For the traditional religion of Madagascar, death marks a passage from the rank of human to the higher rank of being an ancestor (Razana). They will dominate the world of the new generations who will fear them and honour them in turn from another world. Three important ceremonies accompany death. There is the funeral, the "famadihana" (exhumation or turning over) and sacrifices. Of course, the forms these ceremonies can take vary according to the region; some of these practices are mentioned below.

Rites observed in Imerina (Centre)
After the dead person is washed, dressed and wrapped in a "lambamena" (a shroud of natural silk), they are displayed to their loved ones for some time. Then, the dead person is put in a coffin and taken to the tomb. This journey is the last occasion the dead accompany the living on earth.

Rites observed in Mahafaly and Androy country (South)
The coffin is vigorously shaken about by its team of carriers, who perform a spasmodic dance while the women clap and the other men brandish swords. Once the dead person is brought to their tomb and buried, a commemorative statue is put up for them there. The sacrifice of one or several zebu accompanies the ceremony, which can take place over a number of days, with night watches accompanied by song and dance. The ceremony ends with a party during which the sacrificed zebu meat is shared out between all those present. The size of this ceremony depends on the wealth of the person who died and sometimes herds of ten, even hundreds of zebu which are sacrificed; the ceremony would last several weeks in this sort of case. Some tombs are decorated with hundreds of pairs of ox horns, which show the wealth of the dead person.

The turning of the dead
There are a number of circumstances in which a "famadihana" is practiced. First, if the dead person was not buried in their family tomb for whatever reason when they died. Their loved ones must therefore take them there some years later. This is carried out in the dry season for health and safety reasons, is always an occasion to show joy and celebrate the event. The second type of "famadihana" is one due to all the dead in the Malagasy belief system because the living must honour their ancestors. It is thought that the ancestors are cold and therefore need a new shroud. The "famadihana" usually takes place several years after death.

The "Mpanandro" (an astrologist) determines the most propitious day and hour. The body is then exhumed and wrapped in a new lambamena (a shroud of wild silk), after receiving particular attention (such as covering in honey, given some tobacco, rice or alcohol).

Then, before they are taken back to their new home, custom demands they are paraded around the tomb seven times.
The whole ceremony is undertaken in a festive and joyful atmosphere. Music, song and percussion accompany the sacrifice of a zebu and the sharing of its meat. A speech is given in memory of the dead person for the living, and closes the ceremony.

Tabou
The authority of a "Razana" (divine ancestor) is dictated through orders which accompany various tabou or "fady". Committing a tabou act is equivalent to being guilty before the ancestors. A complex and great diversity of tabou are created depending on the person, their sex, their family or community, but also according to the place and the period of time. For example, a person can be imposed a community tabou (not eating pork), a tabou related to time (not working on a Tuesday), as well as a geographic type of "fady" (not permitting the transport of a particular type of good, such as pork, across a river; or not to speak at a particular defined place).

Customs & Traditions
Repeated practice across time of a set of rules creates tradition or "fomba".
Opposing traditional customs will bring the punishment of the ancestors. Customs could be for example, before drinking or sharing a drink during a certain event, one pours some alcohol on the ground for the ancestors (symbolised by earth), or if inside to pour some alcohol in the north-east corner of the room (the place of the ancestors).

Circumcision
In Malagasy tradition, all male children must be circumcised to become virile and a man in himself. In villages, once the number of young boys reaches a certain age, the traditional ceremony is arranged. This generally takes place during the dry, cool season, between June and September. It is an occasion for great festivity. Certain collective circumcisions bring together several thousand people, as with the Antambahoaka of Mananjary with the "Sambatra" ceremony, which takes place every seven years.

This tradition comes from the Arabian peninsula, where in the IVth century BC, an important number of women contracted an unknown gynaecological illness and that this was related to the intimate relationships that these women had with their uncircumcised husbands.

Much later, in the XIXth century, western medical research show evidence that the foreskin on the male organ secretes a substance that can bring vaginal cancer for the woman.