Customs Traditions Pakistan

8/13/2019 Customs Traditions Pakistan

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Customs and

Traditions of Pakistan

The Pakistani culture, customs and traditions arean amalgamation of the Arab, Persian and native

cultures. However these greatly differ in allregions / provinces of the country. From marriagesto eating habits and from attire to recreation, there

are varying shades, however very colourful andfascinating. Old people are given positions ofprestige, honour and respect in Pakistani culture.Social life is simple with customs and traditions

reflecting an Islamic touch.


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MarriagesLike all over the world, marriages in

Pakistan are full of hues, music and lot of

food. Marriages are generally arranged by

the parents and the would be partners,

however, the trend is changing but at a

much slower pace where marriages of own

choice and choosing are allowed.

Sometimes the formal engagements may

last from a few months to many years,

depending on the age of the couple. Inmost of the cases, the bride and groom

meet for the first time on their wedding day.

It can be said that marriages in Pakistan

are not a union of two individuals, but a

long lasting relation of two families.

Wedding rituals are elaborate and usuallytake four to five till the actual wedding day.

The initial two days are generally meant for

the ritual of "Mehndi", wherein Hina is

applied to both the groom and the bride by

the female friends and relatives of both

sides.


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The friends of the bride and groom also dance

at "Dholak" (indigenous drum, to which useof electronics and play back on cassette

players is also on the increase. Then is the

wedding day, when a cleric gets a "Nikah

Nama" (the marriage contract) signed by both

the partners in the presence of witnesses of

both families. A man and a woman must

repeat thrice that he / she is willing to enter

into the matrimonial bond on his/her own will.

After the ceremony, sweets are distributed as

a omen of good will, followed by a sumptuousmeal. The bride usually wears a decorated

red dress with lot of jewellary, while the groom

normally attires in "Sherwani" - a long closedcollar coat.

The next day, the groom hosts a

luncheon/dinner called "Walima"to introducethe bride to his entire family and friends. On

the wedding and Walima days, the bride

wears heavily stitched wedding dress,

normally red in colour and heavy gold

ornaments and bangles.


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FoodThe Pakistani cosines are rich in oil and

chilies. Unlike the Indian food,Pakistani dishes must include meat,chicken and beef, though pork istotally forbidden as per Islamicteachings. Although eating habits differfrom regions to region, the mainstay ofthe Pakistani diet is "chapatti or roti"made from flour. "Lassi" ( Butter Milk)

a usual drink made like a milkshake ina home made utensil from curd/yogurtand water is usually taken at lunchtime, especially during the summersas it beats the effects of hard weather.It is usually customary to eat a dessertafter the dinner, which mainlycomprises "Kheer"(made from rice

and milk) and sweetened rice "Zarda".Rice though scarcely eaten in manyparts, pullao(lightly fried rice withvegetables) and biryani (rice withmeat or vegetables and spices) arethe two very favourite dishes of rice,especially on marriages. "Mithai"akind of sweet made of corn flour, sugarand milk is the favourite sweet for allages.

Freshly baked sugar syrup ripe bright red"Jalebis"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/friend_faraway/1347720996/


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Eating Habits

There are significant regional differencesin cuisine. Curries of meatand chicken rich in spices are preferred in the south,

while barbecuing and beef is more common in the north. The junk food is very popular in youngsters in cities, specially with the introduction of fastfood like the McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken. However, the indigenous snacksinclude samosas (deep-fried pastry triangles filled with potatoes, mixed vegetablesor minced meat) and pakoras (floured and deep-fried vegetables).

Tea with milkis the most popular drink both in urban and rural areas. In most of the rural areas, people sit on the ground to eat, while the use of dinning tables

is very common in urban areas.

As a respect for the food, Muslims eat only with the right hand, specially dishes of ricewhich are usually eaten with hands and cleaning the plate completely so as not to wastethe food.

In functions / gatherings, men and women generally eat separately.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast for 30 days and do not eat or drink fromsunrise to sundown. The fast is broken at the time of the evening prayer, mostly withdates and pakoras.

Whenever visiting Pakistan, or for that matter any Muslim country, foreigners areexpected not to eat in front of the fasting Muslims as a respect for the scared month


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Rest andRecreation

Sports are the real pastime andrecreation for the majority ofPakistanis.

Kabaddiand Kushti (indigenouswrestling), horse riding (speciallytent pegging), polo and swimmingare some of the indigenous sportsthat are widely played all overPakistan, though cricket, squashand hockey have surpassed allother local games and are verypopular. Pakistan has earned goodname in all these three sports.Soccer and tennis are also played.

Going to the cinemas is a popularpastime in addition to watchingtelevision and playing video games.

Picnics are not very common sincethe majority of people hail from low-medium income groups. However,on holidays, families and friends dospend days in parks and take alongfood and play badminton etc.Visiting friends and family membersare all popular forms of recreation.
http://www.pakistanpaedia.com/oth_sports/Sports_4.htmlhttp://www.pakistanpaedia.com/oth_sports/Sports_4.html


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Attire

The dress in Pakistan varies from region to

region, keeping in view the climatic

conditions of the area. However, it is colourful

and eye dazzling, specially on weddings,

when the women folk wear brightly coloured

attire with matching ornaments / jewellary.

Men usually wear "Shalwar Kameez",

though on marriages, embroidery is alsoadded even for men.


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In rural areas, as a sign of respect,

turbans or caps are worn by men,

especially by the village elders. Women in

rural areas and most of the women in

urban areas as well, cover their head and

most of the upper body as a religious

obligation and also as a mark of modesty.

The dress of Kalashpeople in remoteareas of Chitral is unique with black robes

and colourful embroidery.


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Music andDance

Dances are very popular all over thecountry in varying forms. Owing to the

Islamic culture, mostly men take part in

dances publicly, however female dancers

too exhibit their skills in group dances

and in theatre and cinema.

"Luddi and Bhangra" are famousdances in Punjab, at the beat of bigdrums and are normally related to harvest

season, while "Khattak Dance" (left)basically a sword dance is much popular

in NWFP.

Musical instrumentslike Dhol (drum),Shehnai (clarinet), sitar (three stringed

instrument), sarod, alghoza (two wind

piped flute) and flute are some of the

widely used instruments.


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Music and DanceAbove a group of dancers is seen performing

"Hey Jamalo" from Sind, based on the fabledJamalo, who returning victorious was greeted

by his tribe "Hey Jamalo".On the right a group of dancers is seen

performing "Hey Jamalo" from Sind, based

on the fabled Jamalo, who returning

victorious was greeted by his tribe "HeyJamalo".

While the music in the rural areas continue to

follow the regional and indigenous tastes and

traditions, music in the urban areas is

changing over from the film music, which

once used to be the most popular genre, topop music. Many groups and solo artists

have thrived the music scene and people

have a wide choice to make from. However,

traditional classical and religious music is still

available as are film songs.

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Customs Traditions Pakistan