Eng 111
26 April 2019
Pakistani Culture
According to oxford living dictionaries culture is defined as idea, custom and social behavior of a particular people or society. Culture consist of language beliefs works of arts, ideas and so on. People are distinguished on the basis of their culture. Culture plays an important role in our life; it affects our behavior and way of thinking as culture is passed and inherit through generations. Different countries have different culture and beliefs which help its people to live life according to its principles. In this way Pakistani culture has its special sense of taste as it is very diverse, and it is and ideological Islamic state. Its very existence is due to Islam so, Pakistani culture is primarily based on Islamic way. All other elements of culture are inspired by Islam, but there is also a mixture of other cultures. Pakistani culture is divided into many different chunks due to presence of varied culture and beliefs.
The first thing that make Pakistani culture vast is presence of different provinces. The four provinces are Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Each of these four provinces consist of different customs, rituals and culture within itself. Such as Punjab has its on language knowns as Punjabi and they have their own traditions. Their costumes (salwar/kameez) is mostly bright and vibrant with embroidery which exactly portrays their lifestyle. On the other hand, Sindhi people are Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group of people. Sindhi culture is highly influenced by Sufi beliefs. Moreover, the Baloch people are Iranian people and they mostly live in mountainous and deserted area. Lastly Pakistani culture includes Pashtun culture. The culture of Pashtun people are highlighted since the time of Herodotus or Alexander the great. Pashtuns live their life according to ancient way and most of their females are not very educated as they think that females should be well aware of house chores rather than social life and they get married at early age. In general, Pakistani culture represents diverse customs and beliefs.
The second thing that make Pakistani culture distinct from other cultures is its festivals. Pakistani culture consist of different festivals and events and each area celebrate with its own customs. Some of the key festivals and events include chandraat, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha and wedding events. Chandraat is the “moon night” when a crescent moon is sighted on the last day of Ramadan and the next day is Eid al-Fitr(Rao, Saira. 6 Mazing festivals in Pakistan), celebrated through the announcement of this crescent moon. People celebrate this day according to their customs. Chandraat is often celebrated with relatives, girls put Henna on their hands. People visit their relatives and gifts are often exchanged. Same way Eid-ul-Adha is a festival of sacrifice. It is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year (other Eid-ul-Fitr). People depending...
