Culture & Custom of South Asian Countries
Presented by: Nuha Binte Harun
Class: Grade 8
Section: Red
ID: s0494@akmis.net
Presented to: Miss Tahmina Akter Mili
Subject: English as a Second Language
Table of Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
1. Afghanistan
Culture
●
Islam is the oicial religion of Afghanistan and the majority of the population is Muslim (approximately
99.7%). There are some very small residual communities of other faiths, including Christians, Sikhs,
Hindus and Baha’i.
●
In Afghan society, men are considered as the primary wage earners, while women are viewed as
homemakers. Husbands are expected to support their wives and children financially for the rest of
their life.
●
Afghanistan is mostly a tribal civilization, with each region having its own cultural. Despite this,
practically all Afghans adhere to Islamic customs.
●
Afghan women wear a head covering based on the local interpretation of religious laws. Most women
wear a hijab or chador as a covering.
●
The most important celebrations of Afghanistan are Eid al-Adha, Ashura, Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan),
and Mawlid. Religious minorities celebrate festivals unique to their respective regions or religions.
Custom
●
Make sure to provide everything several times in exchange. If you just make one oer, an Afghan
individual may say, "No, it’s okay," out of modesty and courtesy, even if they intended to accept the
second oer.
●
It is rude to walk away from someone while they are still talking to you.
●
An invitation is not always needed in order to visit one’s house in Afghanistan. Neighbours and friends
may pay each other visits without planning them first.
●
You may be siing on the floor, surrounded by carpets and pillows. Sit cross-legged if possible, or in a
position that is comfortable for you. Avoid siing with your legs spread or your foot soles facing
another person.
●
People gather around a large common plaer that may be placed on a table or the ground and eat
from shared dishes.
2. Bangladesh
Culture
●
Bangladeshi culture is influenced by three great religions- Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam in
successive order, with Islam being the most dominating religion.
●
Bangladesh developed its own distinct dancing styles. Bangladesh has a rich tradition of folk songs,
with lyrics rooted in vibrant tradition spirituality, mysticism, devotion. Such folk songs revolve around
other themes, including love.
●
Bangladeshi men wear lungi as casual wear. Shirt-pant and suits are also very common. Bangladeshi
women traditionally wear shari and young females are also often seen in salwar kameez.
●
Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are the most celebrated festival in Bangladesh.
●
Rice is the primary dish, and it is eaten with fried vegetables, curries, thick lentil soups, egg, fish, and
meat preparations of chicken, muon, cale, and duck.
Custom
●
Visitors are always asked to have a seat since it is considered improper for a visitor to sit on
the floor.
●
If people are gathering for a large social occasion, Bangladeshis tend to try and avoid being
among the first or last guests to arrive.
●
When invitations are extended to individuals, it is generally assumed that the gesture
includes an oer for their entire extended family to aend.
●
Bangladeshis often oer their guests additional helpings of food. It is acceptable to refuse,
however, expect the host to insist. It can be easier and also more polite to graciously accept.
●
It is considered impolite to open gifts in front of the giver.
●
Typically, gifts are given with two hands.
3. Bhutan
Culture
●
Bhutanese culture evolved from ancient culture. The main Bhutanese languages, Dzongkha and
Sharchop, are closely linked to Tibetan, and Bhutanese monks read and write chhokey, an old variety
of Tibetan.
●
Bhutanese society revolves around the practice of Buddhism, the country’s principal religion.
●
Bhutanese music has traditional genres such as Zhungdra, Boedra, and a modern genre called Rigsar.
●
Bhutan’s basic foods include red rice, buckwheat, and, increasingly, maize. In the hills, chicken, yak
meat, dried beef, pig, pork fat, and lamb are also eaten. Soups and stews of beef, rice, ferns, lentils,
and dried vegetables seasoned with chili peppers and cheese are popular winter meals.
●
Bhutanese names, with the exception of royal lineages, do not include a family name. Instead, the
local lama or the child’s parents or grandparents choose two customary auspicious names before
birth.
Custom
●
A formal greeting is to bow with hands open and outstretched and the palms up.
●
When wishing to be polite or to indicate interest, the Bhutanese add “la” to the end of
sentences during a conversation.
●
When invited as a guest, the host will politely ask to you to start eating once everyone is
served.
●
Some members of the family or the host himself will serve himself only after the guests have
started their meal. This is in keeping with the Bhutanese custom of serving the guests first.
●
Bhutanese will refuse something three times before accepting it.
●
If you are the receiver, you are also expected to politely refuse to accept at least for the first
time. The tone of the “pretended” refusal is important – it must not be a loud definite “No.”
4. India
Culture
●
Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism are all Indian-origin religions that are based on the
notions of dharma and karma.
●
The three national holidays in India, Independence Day, Republic Day, and Gandhi Jayanti, are
celebrated with passion and enthusiasm throughout the country.
●
Indian cuisine has a diversity of climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations. These
cuisines dier significantly and make extensive use of locally available spices, herbs,
vegetables, and fruits.
●
Traditional Indian wear diers greatly by location and is influenced by local culture,
geography, climate, and rural/urban seings. Draped clothing, such as saris for ladies and
dhotis or lungis for men, is popular. Men also wear shirts and pants and suits. Ladies wear
stitched garments such as churidar or salwar-kameez, with a dupaa (long scarf) thrown
over the shoulder to complete the outfit.
Custom
●
Never sit higher than an elder. If they are seated on the floor, you should also sit on the
floor to avoid being higher than them.
●
People may not be strictly punctual when visiting someone’s home. Arriving 15 to 30
minutes after the designated time is appropriate.
●
It is common to be oered a cup of chai (spiced tea) when visiting someone’s home or
occasionally when visiting a shop.
●
While it is not expected, a gift for the host is generally appreciated. Typically, a lile
token gift, such as chocolates or a gift for the host’s children, is suicient.
●
An Indian may fill your plate for you, or they may expect you to serve yourself.
5. Maldives
Culture
●
The Dhivehi language is of Indo-Iranian Sanskritic origin and thus closely connected to
Sinhala.
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Islam is the oicial and only allowed religion in the Maldives.
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The Maldives' cuisine is primarily fish-based, as fishing is the country’s second-largest
sector. The most prevalent foods in daily meals are rice and fish, with fish being the most
important source of protein in the normal diet.
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Most of the festivals celebrated here are Islamic festivals. The major festival of Maldives is Eid.
Another patriotic event is the celebration of the Republic Day on November 11th celebrating
the formation of the Republic of Maldives.
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The people of Maldives wear Dhiveli Libaas, a long-sleeved, brightly colored dress, worn
above a black and white stripped sarong called feyli.
Custom
●
A handshake is a popular way for a man and a woman to greet each other. However, because
men and women should not engage in physical contact, a mere nod or small bow is
appropriate.
●
Remove your shoes or slippers upon entering someone’s house. Leave them at the front door
along with the owner’s footwear.
●
At the dining table, visitors should wait until all guests are seated before eating. Eating before
everyone is seated is considered rude and disrespectful.
●
It is polite to try everything that is provided to you. Otherwise, the host and/or hostess or chef
may find it disrespectful if you decline something that they have spent time and eort
preparing.
6. Nepal
Culture
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Nepal has a Hindu population of 81.6%. Approximately 9% of the population practiced Buddhism.
Islam is practiced by approximately 4.2% of the population, while the indigenous Kirant religion is
practiced by 3.6%. Christianity is oicially practiced by less than 1.0% of the population.
●
123 languages are spoken in Nepal.
●
The majority of them are members of the Indo-Aryan or Tibeto-Burman language families. Nepali is
the oicial national language of Nepal and acts as a lingua franca among Nepalese ethnolinguistic
groups.
●
People in Nepal eat dhido (millet or barley cooked dough), potato curry, momo (dumplings), yak or
goat or sheep meat, milk, or thukpa for their regular diet.
●
Nepal’s music is extremely diversified. Tamang Selo, Chyabrung, Dohori, Adhunik Geet, Bhajan, Filmi
music, Ghazal, Classical music, songs, and Ratna music are popular, but many other less prevalent
genres have yet to be cataloged.
●
Dashain is Nepal’s 15-day festival and holiday season. It is the longest and most auspicious holiday in
the Nepalese annual calendar, and it is celebrated by Nepalese Hindus all over the world.
Custom
●
Do not keep your shoes or sandals upside down. It is thought to mean bad luck.
●
Avoid spilling rice and walking on it. This is an insult to the Hindu goddess of food.
●
Education is highly prized, so avoid touching or kicking books, stationery, paper or other reading and
writing materials with your feet. This is considered an insult to Saraswati (the goddess of education).
●
If you are given an invitation to a specific occasion, it is polite to make time for a short appearance
even if you’re busy.
●
It is best not to help yourself to a common dish or drink. Wait for the host to serve you instead of
serving yourself.
●
Try and eat less on your first serving so that you can ask for a second serving. This is a great
compliment to the host.
7. Pakistan
Culture
●
Pakistan is a multilingual country with dozens of primary languages spoken. The Indo-Iranian group of
the Indo-European language family contains the bulk of Pakistan’s languages.
●
Urdu is Pakistan’s national language and lingua franca; while it shares oicial status with English, it is
the preferred and dominant language used for inter-ethnic communication.
●
The traditional dress for both men and women is the shalwar kameez; trousers, jeans, and shirts.
●
Pakistani festivals, including Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Ramazan, Christmas, Easter, Holi, and Diwali, are
mostly religious in origin.
●
Pakistani cuisine makes extensive use of spices and herbs. Home cooking frequently incorporates
roti, a staple food, usually served with curry, meat, veggies, and lentils. Rice is also popular; it can be
eaten plain, fried with seasonings, or in sweet recipes.
●
The classical music of Pakistan is based on the traditional music of which was patronized by various
empires that ruled the region and gave birth to several genres of classic music including the Klasik.
Custom
●
Wear clothes appropriate to specific occasions. Forgeing to do so is considered disrespectful.
●
Laughing loudly in public is considered rude.
●
With new acquaintances, it is not expected to oer to bring something for a meal. Hosts take pride in
preparing everything themselves and may be taken aback by such a question.
●
It is polite to bring a small gift, such as chocolate, sweets or flowers to express gratitude for the
invitation.
●
In more intimate or smaller seings, the entire family will sit together with guests in the living room.
●
People wait for elders to sit down and begin before eating.
●
Gifts should be oered and received with two hands or the right hand alone.
8. Sri Lanka
Culture
●
The Buddhist community of Sri Lanka observes Poya Days, once per month according to the Lunar
calendar.
●
Sinhala is spoken by about 17 million people in Sri Lanka, more than 14 million of whom are native
speakers. About 24% of the total population speak Tamil. Both Tamil and Sinhala are oicial
languages.
●
There is no oicial national costume in Sri Lanka. But the most popular items are sari for women and
sarong for men.
●
The Sinhalese and Tamil New Year ("Aluth Avurudhu" in Sinhala, "Puthandu" in Tamil) is a very large
cultural event on the island. The festival takes place in April when the sun moves from the Meena
Rashi (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashi (House of Aries).
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The cuisine of Sri Lanka is primarily influenced by that of Southern India, Indonesia and the
Netherlands. Rice is a staple and usually consumed daily, and it can be found at any special occasion,
while spicy curries are favourite dishes for lunch and dinner.
Custom
●
Women are not permied to touch or sit next to a Buddhist monk. If they must pass an object to a
monk, they should pass it through another male or hold the object with a tissue. This is because male
monks are not permied to touch women of any age in order to prevent acquiring a desire for or
aachment to women.
●
Try to accept any refreshments oered at a Sri Lankan’s house, as refusing them is considered
impolite.
●
Depending on the formality of the occasion, a Sri Lankan may fill your plate for you or they may expect
you to serve yourself.
●
To demonstrate graciousness, some Sri Lankans may touch their right forearm with their left hand
while oering the gift with their right hand.
●
Gifts are typically not opened immediately upon receiving them.
●
It is expected that gift giving will be reciprocated.
Resources
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hps://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Afghanistan
hps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Bangladesh
hps://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Bhutan
hps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_India
hps://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-the-Maldives
hps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Nepal
hps://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Pakistan
hps://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Sri-Lanka
hps://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/
hps://bhutancanada.org/teacher-orientation-etiquee-in-bhutan/
hps://perfectnuptials.com/2022/10/etiquee-in-the-maldives/
Wikipedia