The Lanonana in the Betsileo Regions

In the central southern highlands of Madagascar, particularly in Fianarantsoa, Ambositra, and Antsirabe, lanonana mark the major highlights of the social and cultural life of the Betsileo people – and occasionally, of some Merina as well. These traditional ceremonies, usually held between July and October, take place in villages often far from the big cities. Weddings, famadihana (reburial or turning of the bones), baptisms, funerals, or rites of passage : each event is a time to bring entire families together, sometimes traveling great distances, to celebrate life, honor ancestors, and strengthen community bonds.