Beads are normally small and spherical piece of a material such as glass, plastic or wood, that is pierced for stringing or threading to serve a purpose of beautification for the waist, neck, wrist or ankles.
Bead making has is now rampant across the African continent. It has also helped in carving the rate of unemployment in many countries across Africa.
Beads were formerly worn by Chiefs or members of a royal family. Apart from beautification, beads are worn for many other reasons. In the olden days, a type of bead worn by someone tells you who or where the person is coming from or the position of the person in the family or society.
However, they have now become very fashionable and can be worn by anyone at anytime. They are also used in making foot wears handbags, earrings, necklace etc.
Wearing of waist bead is very common among women across some parts of the Africa continent. There are many mysteries surrounding wearing of beads.
Below are 5 reasons why women wear beads:
1. Sexual Appeal
It is believed that a woman in waist beads is sexually appealing to men. Most African men love to see their women in beads. Most of them have also admitted that seeing a woman in waist bead turns them on. They love to play with it as their women lay in their arms or during sexual activities as well.
2. Body Shapers
Waist beads serve as a natural waist trainers for some women. Wearing of beads can easily tell an African woman whether she is gaining or loosing weight.
3. Traditional Practices
There’s a believe that beads improve a woman’s curves. Hence, beads are worn around African baby girls to enhance their curves and also to give them shape as they reach their adolescent stage.
4. Healing and Meditation
Some People also believe that waist beads have some healing and protective charms that keep danger away. They are said to heal stress, anxiety or relax the nerves during pregnancy
5. Heritage and Pride
Sometimes the waist beads are just a show of love for the Ghanaian heritage and Africa heritage at large
6. Maturity and Growth
Many communities put this beads on their girls as a rite of passage and adorn them and to show that they have passed from girls to women.
