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CHAPTER V. 
RITES AND CEREMONIES, CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS. 
In describing the rites and ceremonies, civil and 
religions, peculiar to Madagascar, we have, in the 
first place, to consider the fandroana , the great 
annual feast of the country, and the beginning of 
the Malagasy new year. The history of its original 
institution is lost in obscurity. The year of the 
Malagasy is about eleven days shorter than our 
own, so that the celebration of this festival falls in 
every one of our months, but eleven days earlier 
each year. The rejoicings and ceremonies con¬ 
tinue over a period of five days, and are so 
arranged that the most important, or sacred day, 
falls in the middle of the celebration, and must 
always be either a Sunday or Thursday. During 
the fandroana , all labour of every kind is sus¬ 
pended, and from end to end of the island, even 
in the remotest villages and hamlets, there is 
dancing and feasting and exchange of friendly 
greetings and visits. It is customary for all 
