1. In the African past, leisure followed the rhythm of work. It was conducted at any time depending on a given piece of work that was also done at any time.

2. Leisure was communal. It involved people in that given community at the same time.

3. Leisure was a time for the family and the clan to teach the young ones the values of life in that particular community.

4. Leisure activities were active in nature. All people had to participate directly in the activities being enjoyed like singing, wrestling and dancing without being spectators.

5. Leisure was free of charge. It did not involve any payment like money. It only aimed at giving the individuals access to activities for the good of community.

6. Leisure involved carrying out important community celebrations such as childbirth, child naming and circumcision rites among others. It became a way of preserving the tradition of the community.

7. Leisure was related to one's skills and talents. It aimed at developing the individual skills and talents for the service of all people. This was done through mock hunting, playing instruments and mock fighting among others.

8. Leisure was integrated into work. It was difficult to differentiate leisure from the actual piece of work.

9. Leisure involved thanks giving intended to appease and request God, spirits and the ancestors for particular blessings such as good harvest, rain and childbirth among others.

10. Leisure had to be socially accepted by the general public. Elders had the role of approving a given leisure activity to be enjoyed at a given time.

Leisure activities in traditional Africa

1. Beer parties were important ways of passing time in traditional Africa. People co-operated and contributed positively towards the party. This was an activity for the adults.

2. The traditional Africans had time for community celebrations such as introduction ceremonies and thanks giving ceremonies.

3. Rituals such as circumcision, funeral rites and child naming were also performed during leisure time.

4. Some people played musical instruments during leisure as a way entertainment.

5. The traditional Africans had time for singing. This was always carried out alongside activities such as digging, wedding and harvesting among others.

6. Dancing was one of the leisure activities in traditional Africa. This differed from community to community. Some dances were for joy while others were for mourning.

7. Stories were also part of the leisure activities. The elders would tell the young one stories related to their origins and ancestors aimed at educating them.

8. The traditional Africans spent leisure by telling and interpreting proverbs. They made statements having hidden meaning but aimed at explaining something or giving advice.

9. The traditional Africans offered sacrifices during leisure. This was done not only in thanking God the spirits and the ancestors for their provisions such as rain and good harvest but also in cleansing sins and making requests.

10. There were also mock battles during leisure. This aimed at preparing individuals to be able to defend themselves in case of external attacks.

11. The traditional Africans had wrestling during leisure time. The winners were always given prizes.

12. Telling and interpreting riddles also formed part of the leisure activities in traditional Africa. This was conducted around the campfire in the evening. In such a case, confusing and difficult questions or statements were made demanding quick response. This was aimed at testing and improving the reasoning capacity of each individual.

13. Art and craft was carried out during leisure in traditional Africa. This involved weaving baskets and mats and making sculptures among others.

14. The traditional Africans spent their leisure doing community service such as cleaning the well.

15. Leisure was also a time for prayers. This was a way through which the Africans dedicated themselves to God and communicated their needs.

Explain tile importance of a beer party in African traditional society

• It created joy and happiness among the people.

• It created friendship and the spirit of togetherness

• It helped the Africans to relax their minds

• It was the time for settling community and individual dispute.

• It helped the people to share the fruits of their work.

• It saved \he people from redundancy and boredom

• It promoted unity and the spirit of brotherhood in the society.

• It enabled the people to celebrate important events like marriage.

• It encouraged the spirit of hard work among the traditional Africans.

• It encouraged and promoted courtship.

• It enabled the Africans to interact and socialize.

Importance of leisure in traditional Africa

1. Leisure helped the traditional Africans to acquire and develop their talents through activities such as dancing, singing and wrestling among others.

2. Leisure gave the opportunity to share the fruits of their labour more especially -at a beer party.

3. Leisure helped to strengthen and build the relationship among the traditional Africans. This was made possible through visitations and coming together as family members.

4. Leisure gave the opportunity to the elders to discuss various issues in the community. This included planning for the development and solving any other problem that had arisen.

5. Leisure helped the traditional Africans to earn a living. This was through activities such as hunting, weaving baskets, mats and others. Such items were at times exchanged with other items.

6. Leisure gave the opportunity of educating the young ones. The elders imparted the accepted values of the community like respect of elders, communal living, names of the clan, family and trees through activities like proverbs, riddles, stories and others.

7. The traditional Africans had moments of joy and satisfaction through leisure. This was through participating in activities such as dancing, singing, storytelling, playing musical instruments and others.

8. Through leisure, people recalled important events in life like funeral rites. On such a day they would remember the lives and the eventual death of their relatives.

9. Leisure gave the opportunity of sharing ideas. This was particularly true during beer parties. This helped in the smooth running of the community.

10. The traditional Africans received blessings from God during leisure. This was through offering sacrifices and prayers.

11. Leisure promoted co-operation among the traditional Africans. As they came together at a beer party, they were able to socialize. Therefore this promoted the spirit of togetherness.

12. Leisure helped to promote and preserve cultures. Carrying out cultural rituals such as circumcision, child naming, twin rituals and others helped people identify themselves with the way of life that had been in existence for long..

13. Leisure promoted courtship among the people. The men and women who were attracted to each other were able to come together and build their friendship.

Explain the differences between leisure today and in African traditional society

There are a number of differences in the ways in which leisure is carried out in present situation and the ways in which it was done in traditional Africa.

1. There is payment of money so that one can have access to leisure today but in traditional Africa, leisure was free of charge.

2. Leisure today has specific time allocated for it while in Traditional Africa; it was done at any time following the completion of any given work.

3. There are new forms of leisure activities today which are foreign to the people but in traditional Africa, the activities were related to the people's culture.

4. Leisure activities today are mostly passive while in traditional Africa, the activities were mostly active.

5. Leisure today cuts across the different age bracket while in traditional Africa. it considered age difference.

6. Leisure today is looked at as professional. I.e. it requires training while in l Africa people's talents were looked at without necessarily being trained.

7. Leisure in traditional Africa was educative and today it is mostly for entertainment with some activities leading to moral decline.

8. There is individualism in leisure today while in traditional Africa. Leisure was a communal activity.

9. Leisure today can be ignored but in traditional Africa it was strictly observed.