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.
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.
Marriages
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.
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, pulla´o (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"
Eating Habits
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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
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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 lowmedium 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.
Rest and
Recreation
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.
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.
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.
Music and
Dance
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.