Sundaymail Editor
Theseus Shambare
LOCAL Easter holiday celebrations have significantly evolved over the years.
The Christian holiday, traditionally marked by joyful hymns in church services and the exchange of Paschal greetings, now holds different meanings for different people, including Christians.
Today, Easter Sunday, is a day meant to commemorate Jesus’ rise from the dead. The day is also known as Pascha or Resurrection Sunday.
The resurrection, as described in the New Testament, occurred on the third day after Jesus’ burial following his crucifixion.
For many believers, this day is a significant moment.
Festivities often include cherished family gatherings.
Alongside these vibrant celebrations, there is a more profound and personal reflection on mortality.
While Easter Sunday is synonymous with celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ — a cornerstone of the Christian faith, signifying life’s triumph over death — a growing number of families across the nation are also drawn to cemeteries.
A growing trend
The Easter weekend has become a significant time for family gatherings centred around tombstone unveilings, a trend that has revitalised the workshops of the country’s stone artisans.
For many Zimbabweans, particularly those returning from the diaspora, Easter offers a sacred confluence of spiritual renewal and the deep veneration of the departed.
The long holiday provides a precious opportunity to reconnect with family and fulfil the deeply ingrained cultural obligation of honouring departed loved ones.
Although tombstone unveilings have traditionally been associated with holidays like Christmas or Heroes Day, this solemn act of remembrance is increasingly becoming part of the Easter narrative.
Similarly, many families now capitalise on the long holiday to organise traditional roora/lobola ceremonies.
These unions, celebrated during extended family gatherings, have become a popular trend.
Tracey Gamana is among those for whom this Easter carries a profound dual meaning.
Months of quiet dedication and careful saving have led her to a bustling, dusty workshop on the outskirts of Harare.
The air is thick with stone dust and the whir of machinery, a complete contrast to the solemnity she anticipates.
Her gaze lingers on a photograph of her late mother, a gentle smile gracing the faded image.
“I did not want to be found wanting. This is more than just a stone; it is a tangible symbol of her life, of the love she gave us. And Easter, a time of new beginnings, felt like the right moment for us all to be together, to finally lay her memory to rest in this way,” she said, her voice softened by the impending ceremony.
Soon, a gleaming black granite tombstone, etched with her mother’s name and a delicate floral design, is carefully loaded onto a waiting vehicle.
The US$450 investment represents a significant sacrifice, a demonstration of the deep respect and love that transcends economic hardship.
As the vehicle rumbles towards her rural home, packed with relatives carrying flowers and provisions for the ceremony, Tracey reflects on the significance of the day. The day, for many, also marks the apex of their Christian faith.
Brisk business
Across Zimbabwe’s urban landscapes, makeshift workshops have sprung up in backyards and open spaces, reflecting the burgeoning demand for tombstones.
Last Kundishora, a stonemason who now employs eight people along Kambuzuma Road in Rugare, is experiencing his busiest season yet.
“Our customers take this very seriously,” he explained, his phone constantly buzzing with enquiries.
“For them, honouring their departed is a priority, sometimes even more than festive celebrations. They believe these ceremonies bring blessings and a sense of peace.”
He recounted the story of a businessman plagued by misfortune who commissioned 11 tombstones after a series of vivid dreams.
“The day after the unveiling, it rained — a sign, everyone believed, that the ancestors were pleased,” said Kundishora.
“His business turned around and months later, he gifted me a smartphone, saying it was thanks to the blessings received.”
He added that demand for tombstones during the Easter holidays was now exceptionally high and most traders are struggling to meet requests.
For Meggie Bengezi (32), the gravestone business has become a source of empowerment.
“It was during holidays like Easter that I was recruited into this business by my brother. The tombstone business is highly lucrative during this period (Easter). I have since become an independent woman. I no longer rely on my husband for everything,” she said authoritatively.
Kenneth Chikate, another headstone carver, said their business is growing and needs recognition and land.
“We started as small enterprises, but as you can see, we have grown. It is now high time we see the Government recognising us by allocating sizeable land for our industry. This business has the potential to contribute to the economy,” he said.
Last week, at the Zororo Memorial Park, a sense of quiet anticipation filled the air.
Several graves were draped in white cloths, awaiting the emotional unveilings during the Easter holiday.
Last weekend, the Matika family spent over US$2 000 on a ceremony for their late relative, Isabel.
They had intended for the ceremony to coincide with Easter, but due to the busy schedule of their preferred Methodist clergyman, they had to hold it earlier.
As the white cloth was lifted, revealing the polished stone, a wave of emotion rippled through the gathered family.
Prayers were offered, songs of remembrance filled the air and tears mingled with smiles as stories of Isabel were shared.
Later, a feast was laid out, a celebration of her life and the family’s enduring bond.
“Today was our big day, our way of honouring her,” said Mandiitawepi Matika, a relative.
“As per our initial plan, on Sunday (today), we will hold a family ceremony to remember her. Easter Sunday will be a quieter reflection after this important moment.”
Conversely, the Mukungate family will celebrate the roora/lobola payment for their daughter today, in what promises to be a glamorous affair.
“‘Everything is in place,” a family spokesperson said.
“We are expecting a good number of guests at our Hatfield home. After the event, we will move to a nearby venue we have hired for celebrations. We have hired a local band to provide entertainment for the guests.”
Parallels
Professor Giles Majera offered an insight into this cultural confluence.
“For many Zimbabweans, the lines between traditional ancestral veneration and Christian beliefs are fluid,” he said.
“These tombstone unveilings often serve as a way to both remember loved ones within a Christian framework and to connect with their heritage, seeking ancestral blessings. It is a unique expression of faith and remembrance.”
As families across the nation prepared for these deeply personal acts of remembrance, the spiritual heart of Easter beat strongly.
Pastor Prime Kufa of the United Family International Church (UFIC) highlighted the central religious observance of the holiday.
“We are having an Easter conference that starts on Friday (last week) and ends on Sunday (today). On Sunday (today), we are expecting a full house as people from all walks of life and different parts of the world have confirmed their attendance,” he said.
“Prophet Makandiwa will be the speaker. Last year we had drought, but this year the country experienced good rains. It shows we serve a good God who ought to be worshipped.”
His words underscore the profound gratitude and spiritual focus that defines Easter for many.
The Roman Catholic Church, through Vicar-General Father Kennedy Muguti, emphasised a different yet equally crucial aspect of the Easter message: compassion and solidarity.
In his Lenten message, which resonates with the Easter season, Fr Muguti called on the faithful to be “Pilgrims of Hope: Journeying with the Poor”.
He called for reflection on the causes of poverty and active engagement in alleviating suffering.
“During this Holy Year, we are called to be tangible signs of hope to our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind,” he said, linking the spiritual journey of Easter with a commitment to social justice and remembering the less fortunate.
Similarly, the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, under the guidance of Presiding Bishop George Mawire, focused on unwavering faith during this significant period.
“As Methodists, our members are attending various activities that are lined up across the country, with circuits combining over this period. We are marking this momentous period with the theme ‘Trusting God in all circumstances’, from Habakkuk 3,” Bishop Mawire said.
His message of trust in God provides a spiritual anchor for many who face challenges of different sorts.
As many Zimbabweans gather in churches to celebrate the ultimate victory over death, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, bringing hope and the promise of eternal life for others, Easter carries the weight and significance of honouring earthly lives that have passed.
The newly unveiled tombstones stand as reminders of love, loss and the enduring bonds of family, echoing in their own way the central message of Easter — that even in death, there is remembrance and in remembrance, a form of life continues.
The stones erected this Easter are not just markers of a final resting place, but a testament to the enduring power of memory, bridging the earthly and the spiritual, in a uniquely Zimbabwean way, grounded in both faith and the cherished remembrance of those who came before.
Online Reporter