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→Habits and customs in the region
According to oral tradition, as a result of struggles for land in the central highlands, the Sakalava fled to the great desert plains of the mid-west.<br>
Ampelamana and his troop settled on at the lakes of Bekopaka. They were named ''Vazimba an drano'' which can be translated as "Masters of the waters".<br>
Andrianavoavo and his people took refuge in the Tsingy, they are called ''Vazimba an-tanety'' ("Masters of the land").<br>
There are still descendants of these famous settlers who were divided into two clans.
* ''Tapakanaky'' - Circumcision. This is the act of removing the foreskin of boys and sometimes adolescent. This custom is practiced almost throughout Madagascar. According to the Sakalava belief, tapakanaky is the threshold that separates the child from the man. One can not call an uncircumcised male a man.
* ''Lohavony''- The lohavony is a ceremony to mark the first harvest. ''Lohavony'' means the first flowers/fruits. It is the time when agricultural products are tasted for the first time.
But the peculiarity of the ''lohavony'' is that people also make an offer to the ''zanahary'' (god) and ancestors as well as to the water sources that feed the rice fields and to the mighty trees. These offerings are usually white rice and honey. Requests for blessings are also part of these times. * ''Roba-trano''- The final farewell to a deceased person. ''Roba-trano'' is a custom of the ''Vazimba an-drano'' (the Vazimba who live near a water place) after the death of a person from their community. It is sort of the last farewell to a dead person. One year after the funeral a great ceremony takes place, which can last up to a week during which zebus are slaughtered to feed the guests, ''toaka gasy'' (locally distilled alcohol) flows combined with singing and dancing. The ceremony goes on throughout day and night.
* ''Moraingy''