African customs and taboos in Angola
Angola, located in the southwest of Africa, has formed several kingdoms as early as the Middle Ages. It is a country with a long history and ancient culture. More than 98% of the population belongs to the black race of Bantunigro. It is one of the few countries in Africa that does not abstain from pork and alcohol. Its customs and habits have distinct African local characteristics.
It is very interesting to note that the meeting terms of Angola people are quite similar to those of Han Chinese in China, such as grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, uncle, aunt, etc., but they also have the habit of calling them father and mother to elderly people or foreign guests. In public places or diplomatic venues, they often call each other Mr., Your Excellency, Madam, Miss, etc., and they always match each other's position, such as His Excellency the President, Mr. Minister, etc. Angola is a country of etiquette, and local residents pay great attention to etiquette. The younger generation always takes the initiative to say hello to their elders when they see them, and the elders always nod politely and thank them.
When local residents see guests from foreign countries, they always greet them warmly and warmly, which seems very polite. When relatives and friends who are familiar with each other meet, they first shake hands warmly, then kiss each other's cheeks, and finally talk hand-in-hand, and tap each other's palms with their right hands while talking, making them seem intimate and particularly friendly. In rural areas, when many women meet foreign female guests, they will take the initiative to greet them even if they don't know each other. Then they will dance in circles around the guests and make rhythmic cheers from their mouths. Many female guests are flushed and helpless, but the locals believe that doing so is expressing the friendliest feelings in their hearts.
A special greeting etiquette is also popular among Angola people to joke and tell jokes one by one. The closer the relationship between people, the more unrestrained the jokes they make, and the language they say is extremely sharp. Angola people regard joking and telling jokes as a form of emotional exchange and deepening friendly relations. There is a popular proverb in the local area: "Joking is cold water sprinkled on the head when it is hot, and joking is a stimulant injected when it is tired. It not only makes people feel mentally happy, but also brings more sincere treatment among friends."
are located. Most jokes and jokes made by Angola are confined to friends, with a wide range of content and various forms. If an Angola shakes hands with you and finds that you are thin, they will say,"Friends! You are skinny." Seeing you fat, I always say,"Brother! You are as rich as a bear." Don't make a fuss about foreign guests. This is how Angola people regard you as a close friend and use jokes to express their sincere and warm greetings to you.
Foreign guests can also say "my little fool" and "smart dog" with appropriate words such as "my little fool". It should be noted that if the other party is not a joker and does not take the initiative to joke or tell jokes with you, you cannot rashly joke with the other party, let alone tell some outrageous jokes.
Angola people are hospitable. When strangers meet and talk for a while, they may become close friends. They take the initiative to invite each other to their homes and entertain them with the best food in the home. When parting, they also give some local specialties or folk handicrafts as commemorative gifts. The staple foods of local people are corn, cassava, millet, etc. Because the local area is rich in tropical fruits, many people often eat bananas, mangoes, papaya, etc. for meals. Angola people cook food in a unique way. Most people like to eat grilled corn on the cob or make cakes made with sorghum paste, corn paste and milk.
Many people also like to use sorghum paste, corn paste, melons, fruits, beans, salt, etc. to cook into thick porridge. The local area is rich in cassava, and local people eat cassava in a variety of ways. They can either cut it into pieces, cook it and then pour it with soup, or grind it into powder and add water to make a paste and then mix it with tomatoes, fish pieces or diced meat. The thick juice made from, or tapioca flour is used to make diced pork buns, diced fish buns, etc.
There are many ways for local people to eat bananas. In addition to eating them as fruits, they either dry the bananas, grind them into powder and add flour to make banana cakes, or cut the banana stamens into slices and fry them in a frying pan to make fried bananas. Or peel the bananas, steam or boil them into mud, and then pour them with a thick juice made of vegetables, fish, meat, chicken, etc., or put the bananas on fire until they smell fragrant, and then peel them and eat them.
These dishes of Angola people with national and local characteristics will always leave a beautiful and unforgettable impression after eating them. However, when local national companies or private companies hold business banquets, they always arrange for customers to eat Western food in hotels or restaurants. The cooking skills of local chefs are not low, and the French dishes or Italian dishes they make are not inferior to those eaten in France or Italy. During the meal, in addition to the staple food and dishes, various wines are also served. The host does not persuade the guests to drink, and the guests themselves choose.
The drinks served by Angola guests include coffee, soda, orange juice, mango juice, banana juice, papaya juice, tea, cold water, etc. When you visit a friend's home in Angola, you will find a large porcelain pot or large earthen jar in the living room particularly eye-catching. It contains cold water. People who pay attention to it boil raw water and inject it, while many families simply pour tap water in.
The local climate is hot. When entering the house from the outdoors, my mouth is dry. Drinking a cup of cool water, my feeling of joy cannot be expressed in words. In many hotel rooms, guests are always provided with a pot of cold water, even in five-star high-end hotels. At official formal banquets, a variety of drinks are placed in front of each participant, but a glass of cold water is indispensable.
When invited to a friend's home in Angola, you must make an appointment on time. It is impolite to be late, and arriving early will make the host appear unprepared due to lack of preparation. When entering the owner's house, you must first pay attention to whether the owner is wearing shoes indoors. If the owner takes off his shoes when entering the house, the guests should also follow the owner's example and take off his shoes when entering the house, because many people's living rooms are covered with carpeted and enter the house. Wear no shoes.
When entering the living room, you must sit in the position designated by the owner. After sitting down, during the conversation between the host and guest, they should sit in a dignified posture and concentrate their spirits. They should not look left and right or look around. For drinks and fruits delivered by the owner, you should take the initiative to take them and say some words of thanks. When talking, we should avoid the political situation, the situation of national leaders, and religious issues. We can talk about some of Angola's achievements in building the country since achieving national reconciliation, and praise the hard work and wisdom of the Angola people.
Due to the rule of Western colonialism for more than 500 years, the influence of Western culture is deeply rooted. Nearly half of the population of Angola believes in Roman Catholicism, and another 13% believes in Protestantism. Some of their taboos are somewhat similar to those of Western countries. For example, the number "13" is considered dangerous and unlucky, which is like a chilling cicada and is tried to avoid it. In many cities, the number "13" is not used in house numbers, hotel room numbers, floor numbers, banquet table numbers, and even car numbers.
banquets are not scheduled to be held on the 13th of a month, and it is also taboo for 13 people to have a meal at the same table. "Friday" is also taboo. If the "13th" and "Friday" happen to be on the same day, people call this day "Black Friday". Not only are there generally no activities held in the local area, but many people will also feel afraid all day long, as if disaster is about to befall them, and they will be in constant panic.
They taboo the number "13" so much, which is said to have originated from a Christian legend. It is said that Judas, one of Jesus '12 favored disciples, sold Jesus to the authorities of Judaism in order to covet 30 silver coins, and personally led the way for the captors of Jesus. Because of Judas 'betrayal, Jesus was crucified. The famous painting "The Last Supper" created by the famous Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci with this title depicts Jesus dining with his disciples on the eve of his betrayal. The 13th person attending the dinner on the picture is Judas. Therefore, Christians and Catholics generally believe that the number "13" is a symbol of misfortune.
People think "Friday" is unlucky. According to Christian legend, Friday is the day when Jesus was crucified. Another legend holds that on Friday, Adam Eve committed a crime and was expelled from heaven for violating God's injunction by stealing the forbidden fruit (the "fruit of wisdom")! Both legends believe that Friday is related to death and is naturally unlucky.
in Luanda, the capital of Angola, and its many towns. There are modern houses everywhere, wide and straight roads, high-rise buildings, and extremely luxurious hotels, restaurants, bars and casinos. In rural areas, especially in remote areas, many people still live in traditional steeple African-style thatched huts. Villages vary in size and form naturally. They have the geographical characteristics of being close to water sources, and some have convenient transportation. Small villages have only a few households, and large villages have hundreds. The village implements a traditional chief responsibility system. On major matters in the village, the chief comes forward and convenes the village elders to discuss and decide.
Polygamy is very common in rural areas. There are many people who marry two or three wives for a man, but it is not surprising that he has five or six wives. As for how many wives a chief has, even the locals don't know. The marriage of young men and women in rural areas is still in the hands of their parents. Parents make the decisions and matchmakers make the matchmakers. Dating, engagement, and marriage all cost a lot of money, especially when the woman's parents need to buy a decent dowry for her daughter's marriage. With the progress of society, educated young men and women have met, fallen in love, and married through social occasions, but it also costs a lot of money.