Shaash Saar is called gambosaar in the countryside so it is not unique to “Benadir”. The Shaash in the cities is just more fancy and imported from India or somewhere I believe.
What is unique to Somalia are the rituals around hair covering and marriage, as outlined by Idinlaa. If practices like shaash saar were brought by merchants or immigrants we would have seen these wedding rituals in the countries they came from. As far as I know, they did not exist, and the fact the they have the todobax ceremony shows you it is the mere continuation of a local custom.
The word shaash also appears appears to be etymologically of Somali origin stemming from some kind of descriptor of Lions hair:
This is also the same for Muufo “benadiri”, another word of Somali Cushitic origin and similar to bread consumed as far as Oromo territory.
What is unique to Somalia are the rituals around hair covering and marriage, as outlined by Idinlaa. If practices like shaash saar were brought by merchants or immigrants we would have seen these wedding rituals in the countries they came from. As far as I know, they did not exist, and the fact the they have the todobax ceremony shows you it is the mere continuation of a local custom.
The word shaash also appears appears to be etymologically of Somali origin stemming from some kind of descriptor of Lions hair:
This is also the same for Muufo “benadiri”, another word of Somali Cushitic origin and similar to bread consumed as far as Oromo territory.
