Traditions

Traditions Of Native Americans

Native Americans have a very rich culture filled with many traditions, and they have only started to become better known in the past 25 years or so.

One of these many traditions is a Totem. A person could have several names as they progressed through their life. For example, at one stage of their life a person could have the name ‘Shining Sun’ in another stage of their life they could have another name like this, which describe their life.

Native Americans had a lot of traditions that they followed and they always believed that they had a lot of wisdom. So these are examples of acts of wisdom that Native Americans did.

All traditions that Native Americans followed involved nature. Native Americans were indigenous people and they really enjoyed and loved nature.

Native Americans believed in many beliefs that healed and protects nature.

There are about 566 recognised tribes for the Native Americans and the Alaskan Tribes. Each tribe has a different culture, tribe, language, lifestyles and dressing.

Daniel, Riddhi , Charity, Yasmina Cote D'Ivoire

Traditions of India

India is known by a lot of religions. It is identified as the birth place of Hinduism and Buddhism, the third and fourth largest religions. About 85 percent of Indian population identifies as Hindus. There are a lot of traditions in India but some of them are listed below:-

1. NAMASTE

Namaste is one of the most popular traditions of India. But nowadays it is not only restricted to the territories of India anymore. You could see Ban Ki-Moon greeting everyone with Namaste in New York on first International Yoga Day. Namaste also called 'Namaskar' or 'Namskaara' is one of the five traditional greetings mentioned in ancient Hindu Scriptures, The Vedas. It literally translates that 'I bow to You' and greeting each other it is also a way of saying 'May our minds meet together.' It is indicated by folded palms joined and placed before the chest. The word Namah can be split into two Sanskrit words that is

'Na Ma'(meaning- not mine) to signify reduction of one's ego in the presence of some another one.

There are a lot of ways to say NAMASTE in different languages.

2. Always a Festive Season

India is always seen with a large number of festivals because of prevalence of its Diverse cultures and religions. Different religions celebrate different religions with full enthusiasm. The Muslims celebrate Eid; The Christians celebrate Christmas, Good Friday and so on; The Sikhs celebrate Baisakhi(harvesting of Crops), The Birthdays of their Gurus(Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Guru Angad Dev Ji, etc.); The Hindus celebrate a lot of festival Holi, Diwali, Rakshabandhan, Makar Sakranti; The Jains have Mahavi Jayanti; The Buddhas celebrate the Birthday of their God Buddha as Buddha Purnima and quite honestly the no. is endless. All of these are regarded as Holidays in our book of Course.

3. Joint Families

In India also the concept of Joint Families wherein the entire family (parents, wife, children and in some cases relatives) lives together. This is mostly because of the cohesive nature of the Indian society, and also reportedly helps in handling pressure and stress.

4. FASTING

Fasting is one of the integral parts of Hindu Culture. Fasts or Vrats or Upvas, all are a way to represent our sincerity and resolve or express our gratitude towards any God or Goddess. People throughout the country, India observe fasts during various religious occasions. most of the people also observe fast on different days of a week in favour of a particular God or Goddess associated with that particular day {Monday for Lord Shiva, Tuesday for Lord Hanuman, and many more}. It is widely believed that by doing so, we deprive our body for a basic necessity and thus, punishing ourselves to cleanse off the sins that we have committed until the day of fast.

The rules and regulations of the fast are in accordance with the particular occasion. The origin of fast probably comes from the Vedic ritual of kindling the sacrificial fire for sacrifice purposes. Since the word ‘Upvas’ has been used for denoting both, fasts and kindling sacrificial fire, it can be thought that people observe fasts when they had to kindle or rekindle the domestic fires kept in their homes to perform daily sacrifices.

5. Holy Cow

In the Indian culture, Cow is considered to be a Holy animal. It is worshipped as a maternal figure and is a depiction of the bounty of Mother Earth. Lord Krishna, who grew up as cow herder is depicted as playing his flute among cows and Gopis (milkmaids) dancing on his tune. Interestingly, Lord Krishna is also known by the name of ‘ Govinda’ or ‘Gopala’, which translates to the ‘friend and protector of cow’. Hence, cows have an auspicious significance in Indian culture and religion. Even Lord Shiva’s trusted vehicle is Nandi the sacred bull. Thus, feeding a cow or making contributions for cow shelters is of immense religious importance in India and for Indians.

The Vedic scriptures, in various verses, have emphasized the need to protect and care for cows. Cows are a source of life-sustaining milk. Even the cow dung is an essential and energy efficient source of fuel, especially in rural India. Killing the cow or consuming cow meat is considered to be a sin in India. Hence, several states in India have banned the slaughter of cows by law.

Mother cow is, however, not worshipped as other deities. Indian culture and religion appreciate and expresses its gratitude towards this innocent animal who gives back to mother Earth and its people in more than one form.

6. The Science Behind Temples

Most of the temples are located along magnetic wave lines of the earth, which helps in maximizing the available positive energy inside the Earth. The copper plate (called Garbhagriha or Moolasthan) which is buried under the main idol absorbs and resonates this energy to its surroundings. Going to the temple often helps in having a positive mind and garnering positive energies, which in turn lead to healthier functioning.

It is also a practice to take off footwear before entering places of worship because they would bring in the dirt to an otherwise cleansed and sanctified environment.

7. Arranged Marriage System

The concept of arranged marriage in India traces its origin to as early as the Vedic times. For royal families, a ceremony known as the ‘Swayambar’ is arranged for the bride. Suitable matches from all over the kingdom were invited to either compete in some competition to win over the bride, or the bride would herself choose her ideal husband. Even today, the concept of arranged marriage remains favourite among Indians.

8. Religious Symbols

The Indian traditions and scriptures contain various signs and symbols that have various meanings. For example, the use of the Swastika, in the Indian context, does not point towards Adolf Hitler or Nazism. It is the symbol of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. The arms of the Swastika have various meanings. They signify the four Vedas, the four constellations, or the four basic aims of human pursuit.

9. Atithi Devo Bhava

The saying “Atithi Devo Bhava” is also integral part of Indian Culture and Traditions. It means that The guest is equivalent to god. It is a Sanskrit verse taken from the Hindu scriptures which later became a part of the “Code of conduct” for Hindu society, since the guest has always been of supreme importance in the culture.

10. Indian Ethnic Wear

Indian women are often seems to be sporting ‘saris’. The sari is a single cloth and needs no stitching; it is easy to make and comfortable to wear, and it also adheres to religious etiquette. It initially started out as a Hindu tradition but has very elegantly spread across all religions. The same applies to the more functional ‘Kurta-Pyjama’, and the ceremonial wear of ‘Sherwani’ for Indian men of all religions.

11. Indian Dances

India is a land of ‘Unity in Diversity’. Different forms of dance(classified as folk or classical) find origin from different parts of the country, and they are a way of representation of the particular culture from which they originate. Eight classical dances, which are classified as Indian classical dances and find a mention in the Hindu Sanskrit text ‘Natyashashtra’, (a text of performing arts) are:

Bharatanatyam from Tamil Nadu
Kathakali from Kerala
Kathak from North, West and Central India
Mohiniyattam from Kerela
Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh
Oddisi from Odhisa
Manipuri from Manipur
Sattriya from Assam

All the dance mentioned above forms are a complete dance drama, wherein a dancer or performer narrates an entire story, almost entirely and exclusively through gestures. Such stories are mostly based on the vast Indian mythology. Classical dances in India are strictly classified as and performed according to the rules and guidelines prescribed in the ‘Natyashastra’.

Just like Classical dances, folk dances in India too originate from different regions of the country. These performances are mostly based on stories which are orally passed on from one generation to the other. Folk dances mostly trace their importance to the rural areas, where performances depict the day to day life of rural inhabitants.

The process for a suitable match is one long and tiring effort, which begins with matching some criteria like the horoscope, religion, caste, professional stature, physical appearance and culture. It is made sure that majority of the criteria are a ‘match made in heaven’ (even if it has to be tailor-made). After all the checkboxes are ticked, the elders of the family meet for a face to face interaction. Once the talks are successful, preparations for the wedding begin in full swing.

12. Indian Food

Indian food and cuisine not only form an integral part of Indian culture but are also one of the key factors of India’s popularity worldwide. The style of cooking varies from region to region, though unanimously, Indian food has a major reputation for its extensive use of spices and herbs. Just like dances, religious practices, language and clothes, you will also find a wide variety of food throughout the country. Almost every region is known for a signature dish or ingredient. The staple, however, throughout the country consists mostly of rice, wheat and Bengal gram (Chana).

While vegetarian food is an integral part of Gujrati South Indian and Rajasthani cuisines, non-vegetarian dishes form a central part of Mughlai, Bengali, North Indian and Punjabi cuisine. It is also interesting to note that certain cuisines like that of Kashmir have also been influenced by foreign cooking styles from Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan.

There exist thousands of traditions in India, and quite a few of them would leave outsiders rather curious. But the crux of Indian society and culture has always been to be well mannered, polite, respect others, and progress together.

Indian Traditions Credits:- Ansh Singhal, India

Text Source: Holidify

Image and Background Sources:- Flickr, Pixabay, Pexel , Wikimedia Commons , Pinterest

Traditions Of Afghanistan

The handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation is called tradition.

Afghanistan is a country which has about 5000 years historical background and is the country which has seen several traditions in it.

Nowroz

Is a festival which is celebrated by afghan people on the first day of Persian new year. Thia festival is held by several activities .

Guli Surkh festival

The Guli Surkh festival which literally means Red Flower Festival (referring to the red Tulip flowers) is the principal festival for Nauruz.

Jahenda Bala

Jahenda Bala is celebrated on the first day of the New Year), and is attended by high-ranking government officials such as the Vice-President, Ministers, and Provincial Governors.

Buzkashi

Along with other customs and celebrations, normally a Buzkashi tournament is held during the Guli Surkh festival in Mazar-i-Sharif, Kabul and other northern cities of Afghanistan.

Haft Mēwa

In Afghanistan, people prepare Haft Mēwa (literally translates as Seven Fruits) in addition to or instead of Haft Sin which is common in Iran. Haft Mewa is like a fruit salad made from seven different dried fruits, served in their own syrup. The seven dried fruits are: raisins, Senjed (the dried fruit of the oleaster tree), pistachios, hazelnuts, prunes (dried apricots), walnuts and either almonds or another species of plum fruit.

Samanak

It is a special type of sweet dish made from germinated wheat, and is normally cooked or prepared on the eve of Nauruz or a few days before

Sightseeing to Cercis fields

The citizens of Kabul go to Istalif, Charikar or other green places where the Cercis flowers grow. They go for a picnic with their family during the first two weeks of the new year.

Jashn-e Dehqan

Jashn-e Dehqan means The Festival of Farmers. It is celebrated on the first day of year, on which the farmers walk in the cities as a sign of encouragement for the agricultural production. In recent years, this activity is being performed only in Kabul and other major cities, in which the mayor and other high governmental personalities participate in watching and observing.

Page credits:

Ansh - India
Daniel - Cote D'Ivoire
Riddhi - Cote D'Ivoire
Charity -Cote D'Ivoire
Faryal Afghan-Afghanistan

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