Philippine customs and taboos
The Republic of the Philippines (Tagalog: Republika ng Pilipinas), referred to as the Philippines, is located in the Western Pacific Ocean. It is a multi-ethnic archipelago country in Southeast Asia. It is mainly divided into three major groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with a total of more than 7000 large and small islands. The capital is Manila.
The Philippines has an area of 299,700 square kilometers and a total population of approximately 101 million (July 2015). Among them, Malays account for more than 85% of the country's population, including Tagalus, Ilogos, Bangbanya, Visayas and Bicol; ethnic minorities and foreign descendants include Chinese, Arabs, Indians, Spaniards and Americans; there are also a few indigenous people. There are more than 70 languages in total. The national language is Filipino based on Tagalog, and English is the official language.
The Philippines also has a large number of races and cultures, and it also combines many Eastern and Western customs. The prehistoric Negritos were probably the earliest residents of the Philippines. Subsequent ethnic migration brought Malay culture, and with the development of religion and trade, Indian culture, Chinese culture and Islamic culture.
Due to the influence of Western society, people in the upper class of the Philippines are very popular in giving priority to women. No matter what they do, they are generally accustomed to giving special attention to women. However, in rural areas, women's status is very low because most women outnumber men. Their upper-class lifestyle is limited to imitation, and they like the American lifestyle best. They have a strong family concept and generally like others to talk about and praise their family.
They love jasmine flowers most and believe that jasmine flowers are fragrant and give people a happy and beautiful impression. People respect it as the national flower and regard it as a symbol of purity, sentiment and friendship. When welcoming guests, hospitable Filipinos often string jasmine flowers into beautiful wreaths and present them to the guests 'necks to express their pure friendship with visiting guests.
Most Filipinos have Spanish names, in the order of religious name-mother's initials-father's surname. When dealing with professional and technical personnel, they should call their titles such as engineers, architects, lawyers, professors, etc. When talking, avoid topics such as domestic political disputes, religion, and modern Philippine history.
Filipinos are accustomed to shaking hands with guests on social occasions, both men and women. When alternating with acquaintances or relatives and friends, they are generally very casual. When some men and women meet, they often pat their shoulders. When young people meet their elders, they must kiss the back of their elders 'hands to show respect for the elderly; when young girls meet their elders, they must kiss the elders' cheeks as a courtesy; if a younger generation meets their elders, they must take off their headscarf before speaking. Put it on your shoulders, bow deeply, and call the elders "Bo", which means uncle).
When Muslim Muslims in the Philippines meet, they must shake hands with both hands. If they meet outdoors without wearing a hat, they must cover their heads with their left hand. When people from some primitive tribes in the Philippines meet guests, they shake hands in a unique way. As soon as he shook hands, he turned around and took a few steps back, meaning to show the other party that there was no hidden sword behind him. They believe this is a sincere and real handshake.
Most Filipinos get married after falling in love freely. In love, men give more cosmetics, fruits, bouquets, etc. to women. The color of flowers is white and peach, and brown and red are taboo colors. Wedding ceremonies are held in the church. Marriage for Filipino Muslims is decided by their parents. The man must propose marriage to the woman's family through a matchmaker and pay the bride price. The wedding ceremony was presided over by the Islamic immam and a grand banquet was held to entertain the guests. The Philippines implements early marriage, and girls are considered to have reached marriageable age when they are twelve or thirteen years old. In addition, the law in the Philippines stipulates that a man can have up to four wives. There are two main ways of marriage for the Igorot people living in the alpine region of Northern Luzon: marriage initiated by their parents or free trial marriage. Generally speaking, wealthier families, in order to prevent their own family's property and status from being sidelined, have their children betrothal when they are young. At the age of 14 or 15, they are officially married. If one party expresses dissatisfaction after marriage, as long as the woman has not yet become pregnant, they can separate at any time and the man and woman find another partner. Those who are infertile can also be separated at any time.
Bajiao people allow multiple couples to marry, while cousins are prohibited from intermarriage. If a person in the latter relationship wants to marry, some "preventive" measures and rituals must be taken, such as throwing some valuables into the sea. When a short black man proposes, he must shoot a bow and arrow at the bamboo tube placed by the woman in the distance. If he fails to shoot, it means that the man is unable to support his wife, and it will be difficult to achieve the purpose of the proposal.
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was around the 16 th century. Filipinos mostly wore clothes made of cotton yarn and hemp fiber. The top worn by men is called "Kanggang", collarless and short-sleeved. The lower body is wrapped around the abdomen with a cloth called "Baha", and the hem of the top is slightly lower than the waist. The color of clothes is mostly blue or black, and only Zun wears red clothes. In the 21st century, most middle-class people in the Philippines wore suits, while ordinary people wore simpler clothes. Men wear shirts on the upper body, preferring white, and suit pants on the lower body; women prefer to wear collarless dresses. Most young people wear Western-style leather shoes, while the elderly still wear slippers made of wood, hemp or grass. The Filipino Muslim man wore a short coat and loose trousers, and wore a "Sharon" as a belt. Believers who have made pilgrimage to Mecca wear a white turban or a white hat on their heads. Women wear tight short-sleeved vests with two layers of metal buttons, loose trousers with tight feet, or skirts. Women have hairstyles like Malays, sometimes wrapped in brightly colored turbans, and they wear bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Ethnic minorities wear different clothes. For example, men from Ifugao often have their upper bodies exposed and a T-shaped floral cloth around their lower bodies; women wear similar skirts with bright colors. Dingang people's clothes are extremely simple. Men generally only wear a piece of cloth around their stomachs, and some also wear jackets with separate front parts; women wear short jackets with cloth wrapped around their stomachs. The clothes of short blacks are the most primitive, with cloth or leaves around their waist.
Rural people in the Philippines generally eat rice and corn as their staple foods. The non-staple foods mainly include various vegetables, seafood, eggs, poultry and meat. Dishes like to put more seasonings, especially spicy seasonings. They generally don't like to eat ginger; they don't like to eat animal viscera and fishy things; and they are not interested in whole fish.
The Bajiao people along the coast of Zamboanga City and the Sulu Sea in the Philippines are accustomed to eating cassava and fish. They rarely eat rice. Although you don't avoid eating beef, mutton, and pork, most people hate eating meat. They like to eat all kinds of fruits, especially sugar cane.
Filipinos love chewing betel nuts in their daily lives. When they entertain guests, they always entertain betel nuts. In addition to this custom, the Igoro people also like to chew tobacco leaves. They are used to eating Western food, but they are also interested in Chinese food. The upper-class people are accustomed to using knives and forks when dining, while rural people and Muslim believers usually grab food with their right hands.
The staple food of Muslims in the Philippines is rice, and sometimes they also eat corn and potato flour, supplemented with vegetables and fruits. According to Islamic rules, they do not eat pork or drink hard liquor. Like other Malays, they like to eat fish and not drink milk. Cooking is simple and I like to use pungent condiments. Grab with your hands when eating. The habit of chewing betel nut is very popular among Filipino Muslims.
Due to the fact that most Filipinos believe in Roman Catholics. Therefore, Filipinos also avoid the number "13" and "Friday". He believes that "13" is a "evil god", a symbol of bad luck and disaster, and an extremely disgusting number. They also avoid red, believing that red is an ominous color; they are also very taboo about cranes and turtles, as well as the shapes of these two animals printed.
In daily life, they also taboo stepping on the threshold when entering the door. Local people believe that gods live under the threshold and cannot be offended; they taboo passing things or food with their left hand, believing that the left hand is a dirty and despicable hand, and using the left hand is a great disrespect to people.
Special note: Do not open gifts in public when accepting or giving gifts in the Philippines, otherwise guests will feel humiliated in public. They also like to inquire about personal matters, so they should keep their voices low when talking to others. The elderly are particularly respected in the Philippines. When meeting, they must first greet the elderly and give up their seats. Under normal circumstances, they cannot smoke in front of the elderly.