The Hamer, including their anthropologically similar tribes of the Banna and Tsemay, are known for their unique custom of “bull jumping,” which initiates a boy into manhood. In the week leading up to the ceremony, the initiate is surrounded by a group of male friends who feed him, prepare him and help him to practice for the big event. The ceremony itself usually takes place on a Monday when the market has finished. First, female relatives dance and invite whipping from men who have recently been initiated; this shows their support of the initiated, and their scars give them a right to demand his help in time of need. The men who support the chosen boy then paint their faces so they can be recognized by the boy during the ceremony. Eventually, the bulls are brought into the assembled Hamer people, where they are blessed on a walking circuit before they are taken to be lined up in the arena. Guests are greeted with either drink of coffee or local araki (or beer), and they wait for the jumping ceremony in the shade. Eventually, the bulls are brought to the arena and held together by the boy’s assistants. The initiate boy must then run back and forth twice across the backs of a row of bulls or castrated steers, and he is ridiculed if he fails. Although these events have drawn many tourists in recent years, it is still a fascinating afternoon and ceremony to witness, so we will join the throngs if we discover that one is taking place during our tour.