The use of earplugs among the Zulu people of Southeast Africa is closely related to the long-standing custom of ear piercing. Ritual ear piercing was the first of a number of traditional ceremonies marking the transition from childhood to adulthood. During the nineteenth century, pierced ears served as a distinguishing mark of the Zulu nation, and the large, decorative earplugs worn made it apparent to all, even from a distance, that the earlobes had been pierced.