The unofficial symbol of this year’s Cup is the “vuvuzela.” Whether you can say its name or not, you will recognize its sound if you have watched any of this year’s World Cup matches on TV. That humming, buzzing sound in the background is the sound of thousands of vuvuzelas resonating with the crowd’s excitement.
Vuvuzelas are long, plastic trumpet-like tubes that became popular in South African soccer. They are loud, they are large, and they are sacrosanct at these games. Although we heard murmurings in South Africa about the possibility of a vuvuzela ban, FIFA’s long official “Stadium Code of Conduct” for this year explicitly states in its fine print, “Unbranded vuvuzelas are not considered Prohibited Items.” (I know because I checked before we packed Oscar and Calvin’s vuvuzelas—and four sets of earplugs!) The annoyance of occasional buzzing in your ears—manageable. Being part of the creation of new tradition in a country that’s trying to start anew—priceless.
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