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Customs and Traditions of Pakistan

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Title: Customs and Traditions of Pakistan


1
Customs and Traditions of Pakistan
  • The Pakistani culture, customs and traditions are
    an amalgamation of the Arab, Persian and native
    cultures. However these greatly differ in all
    regions / provinces of the country. From
    marriages to eating habits and from attire to
    recreation, there are varying shades, however
    very colourful and fascinating. Old people are
    given positions of prestige, honour and respect
    in Pakistani culture. Social life is simple with
    customs and traditions reflecting an Islamic
    touch.

2
 Marriages
Like 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. In most 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 usually take 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.
3
The friends of the bride and groom also dance at
"Dholak" (indigenous drum, to which use of
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
sumptuous meal. The bride usually wears a
decorated red dress with lot of jewellary, while
the groom normally attires in "Sherwani" - a long
closed collar coat. The next day, the groom
hosts a luncheon/dinner called "Walima" to
introduce the 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. 
4
Food
  • The Pakistani cosines are rich in oil and
    chilies. Unlike the Indian food, Pakistani dishes
    must include meat, chicken and beef, though pork
    is totally forbidden as per Islamic teachings.
    Although eating habits differ from regions to
    region, the mainstay of the Pakistani diet is
    "chapatti or roti" made from flour. "Lassi" (
    Butter Milk) a usual drink made like a milkshake
    in a home made utensil from curd/yogurt and water
    is usually taken at lunch time, especially during
    the summers as it beats the effects of hard
    weather. It is usually customary to eat a dessert
    after the dinner, which mainly comprises "Kheer"
    (made from rice and milk) and sweetened rice
    "Zarda". Rice though scarcely eaten in many
    parts, pullaÂo (lightly fried rice with
    vegetables) and biryani (rice with meat or
    vegetables and spices) are the two very favourite
    dishes of rice, especially on marriages. "Mithai"
    a kind of sweet made of corn flour, sugar and
    milk is the favourite sweet for all ages.

Freshly baked sugar syrup ripe bright red
"Jalebis"
5
Eating Habits
  • There are significant regional differences in
    cuisine.
  • Curries of meat and 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 fast
    food like the McDonalds and Kentucky Fried
    Chicken. However, the indigenous snacks include
    samosas (deep-fried pastry triangles filled with
    potatoes, mixed vegetables or minced meat) and
    pakoras (floured and deep-fried vegetables).
  • Tea with milk is 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 rice which
    are usually eaten with hands and cleaning the
    plate completely so as not to waste the 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 from sunrise to
    sundown. The fast is broken at the time of the
    evening prayer, mostly with dates and pakoras.
  • Whenever visiting Pakistan, or for that matter
    any Muslim country, foreigners are expected not
    to eat in front of the fasting Muslims as a
    respect for the scared month

6
Rest and Recreation
  • Sports are the real pastime and recreation for
    the majority of Pakistanis.
  • Kabaddi and Kushti (indigenous wrestling), horse
    riding (specially tent pegging), polo and
    swimming are some of the indigenous sports that
    are widely played all over Pakistan, though
    cricket, squash and hockey have surpassed all
    other local games and are very popular. Pakistan
    has earned good name in all these three sports.
    Soccer and tennis are also played.
  • Going to the cinemas is a popular pastime in
    addition to watching television and playing video
    games.
  • Picnics are not very common since the majority of
    people hail from low-medium income groups.
    However, on holidays, families and friends do
    spend days in parks and take along food and play
    badminton etc. Visiting friends and family
    members are all popular forms of recreation.

7
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 also
added even for men.
8
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 Kalash people in remote areas of Chitral
is unique with black robes and colourful
embroidery.
9
Music and Dance
Dances are very popular all over the country 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 famous dances in Punjab, at the beat
of big drums and are normally related to harvest
season, while "Khattak Dance" (left) basically a
sword dance is much popular in NWFP. Musical
instruments like Dhol (drum), Shehnai (clarinet),
sitar (three stringed instrument), sarod, alghoza
(two wind piped flute) and flute are some of the
widely used instruments.
10
Music and Dance
Above a group of dancers is seen performing "Hey
Jamalo" from Sind, based on the fabled Jamalo,
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 "Hey Jamalo". 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, to pop 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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