Sudanese customs and taboos
Republic of Sudan (Arabic: م ال و ا ل) is located in northeastern Africa, along the Red Sea coast, and at the eastern end of the Sahara Desert. Sudan has a land area of 1886068 square kilometers, making it the third largest country in Africa and the 15th largest country in the world. Due to its location in the tropics, it is hot and rainy all year round, making it one of the hottest countries in the world. The capital is Khartoum. The official language is Arabic, and English is commonly used.
Sudan is also a multi-ethnic country with more than 600 tribes in the country. It is the country with the most complex ethnic composition in Africa, but it can still be divided into Arabs in the north and center, and indigenous black Africans in the south. Because most residents believe in Islam and some believe in Christianity and fetishism, Sudan's customs and etiquette vary depending on ethnicity, region and religion.
It is neither a pure Arab homeland nor a simple land of black Africans. African customs and Islamic culture struggle and exclude here, but they have to be closely blended together. It is like the Blue Nile from the Ethiopian Plateau and the White Nile from Lake Victoria, which go through countless times, but have to merge into one Nile in Khartoum and flow endlessly towards the Mediterranean Sea.
Sudan is a country of etiquette. The people pay attention to courtesy, pay attention to etiquette, and are simple. They are famous for their hospitality in Africa and the Arab world. When men and women meet, they usually nod and smile to express their greetings. But same-sex encounters will be greeted excitedly, then hugged and kissed. The number of kisses depends on the intensity of the relationship. The relationship is average, usually left and right cheeks; good relationship, then to 3 under the majority, accompanied by greetings, but the real long greeting, is completed after the above actions, both sides tightly shake hands, look at each other's eyes formally began. Generally, there is no time for three to five minutes or even longer. Of course, it's a different story if there are urgent matters to do, but look at how leisurely they are all day long, how many times can they have urgent matters?
In the exchange of greetings, the first few sentences are similar to our habits. They are nothing more than "How are you doing","How are you?","I'm thinking about you all the time", but then, we can hear it. They often repeatedly ask each other about their family members, from health to life, from study to work, even climate, transportation, sanitation, etc., and ask each other one by one regardless of the village.
When Sudanese meet foreign guests, even if they are strangers, they will take the initiative to say hello, warmly greet and shake hands, giving people a cordial and friendly impression. At first, I was not used to this kind of endless and enthusiastic greetings. Firstly, the barrage of greetings gave you no chance to reply, and secondly, the other party didn't seem to expect to really be answered. But then again, although this kind of greeting seems cumbersome and affects work efficiency, it reflects the demeanor of this country of etiquette from one aspect.
If we have become good friends due to economic and trade exchanges, when a Sudanese friend invites you to visit his home, if you agree very readily and arrive on time as scheduled, the Sudanese people will be overjoyed and sometimes dance with joy. Once you refuse for various reasons, the Sudanese will feel very disappointed and may even cut off contact with you. This is because, in the traditional concept of local people, refusing a friend's kind invitation is not only a manifestation of contempt for others, but also carries an insulting meaning. Therefore, at this time, it is the wisest choice to do as the Romans do.
When invited to visit a Sudanese friend's home, you should take the initiative to take off your shoes before entering the room. Even if the owner says that it's okay to enter with your shoes on, it's just a courtesy, you should still take off your shoes first before entering, because there is a local custom of taking off your shoes when entering. The easiest way is to say, if the owner comes out barefoot to welcome him, the guest will take off his shoes before entering; if the owner comes out wearing his shoes to welcome him, the guest will politely say "May I take off my shoes?" before entering the door. If the host says,"It doesn't matter if you wear shoes," guests can enter with your shoes on.
Although the host and guest had already shook hands and greeted each other when they met outside the door, after entering the living room, the host would warmly shake hands with the guests, hug warmly, press each other's cheeks three times, and say a warm welcome. At this moment, guests should also say something to express their gratitude to the host. Afterwards, the host will entertain the guests and take out drinks and fruits. Guests should sit in the position designated by the host and cannot sit in one place at will. Take the drinks and fruits delivered by the owner with both hands and express your sincere thanks.
The eating habits of Sudanese people opened my eyes. People living in the desert actually eat peppers, and they eat a lot of them. Their favorite staple food is bread, and it is eaten with chili sauce. Of course, this chili sauce is not entirely composed of chili peppers. There are many other seasonings that look like the meat-colored sauce in Western food, but taste hot. Sudanese chili sauce is raw and can be prepared in a few minutes. They also chop up the peppers and put them in to make the sauce hotter. Of course, Sudanese also have the habit of eating rice with their hands.
Sudanese Arabs generally use sorghum, corn, wheat, beef and mutton as their main foods. They maintain their own Islamic tradition and avoid eating pork, strange food, red stewed vegetables with juice, and do not drink alcohol. Nubians, on the other hand, like to eat sorghum flour cakes baked on iron plates. The main non-staple foods are okra leaves, medicinal beans and beef and mutton. They love to drink beer made from sorghum, wheat or date palms. Southern blacks eat sorghum, peanuts, okra pods, medicinal beans, and potatoes as their staple foods, and also eat beef, mutton, game, fish, and honey. Black people's daily meal is porridge with sorghum flour mixed with milk, gravy or cooked meat. They like to drink beer and soju brewed with sorghum.
Beijia people like to drink "milk porridge" made of fresh milk or condensed milk mixed with sorghum flour. They also like to eat boiled meat and roasted meat, but they do not like to eat vegetables, nor do they eat food such as fish, eggs and birds. Beer made from milk and sorghum are their main drinks. In addition, black Sudanese have the habit of using raw sheep liver to honor guests. The owner used a knife to cut the sheep liver into slices, neatly put it on the plate, sprinkled some chili noodles and spices on it, and allowed the guests to eat it. This is one of the highest hospitality etiquette among black Sudanese. If a guest does not eat at all, it will be impolite to the host and will disappoint the host's wishes.
There are also many drinks in Sudan, such as coffee, soda, orange juice, milk, mineral water, cold boiled water, Coca-Cola, etc., but the most famous one in the area is a folk drink called "Sudan Red". Because of living in a hot climate for a long time, and after repeated practice and exploration, we created a drink "Sudan Red" to cool off and quench our thirst.
They dried the skins of the fruits of a plant locally known as "Kirkdi" and crushed them into foam. When drinking, rinse it with water, add a little sugar and ice to make "Sudan Red". This drink is pink, moderately sweet and sour, cool and refreshing. When a person is so hot that his mouth is dry, his eyes are bloodshot, and his whole body is weak, he drinks a cup of "Sudan Red" and he will instantly feel tired and refreshed. The sweetness and fun are naturally wonderful. It is said that "Sudan Red" can not only be used as a beverage, but also has special pharmacological functions and is effective in treating colds, high blood pressure, etc.
网站图片位Sudanese law stipulates that a man can marry up to four wives-this is clearly stipulated, but if you have money and marry five or six wives, no one will sue you for bigamy. On the contrary, it is a symbol of status. The costumes of Sudanese brides are very colorful, especially when dancing. According to tradition, the bride should dance the camel dance at the wedding, waving her hands high and stretching her neck. At that time, her clothes could show her arms, or even her shoulders. This was usually the only opportunity in her life to show her arms in public.
Most brides will have black patterns painted on their hands on their wedding day, which is said to symbolize good fortune. There are various patterns, but most of them start from the palm of the hand and then paint all five fingers black. It was unknown what pigment the pattern was made of, but it would not fade after painting it. In the rest of her life, her fingers would be shocking black, much more obvious than a wedding ring.
When people from Khartoum got married, they would put up a large tent outside the house and all the guests would welcome it inside. A wedding lasts from three days to a week, during which there is endless drum music and non-stop singing and dancing.
Sudan is still a country with many taboos, and outsiders must try to get familiar with and respect them. Beru people avoid calling women by their names. The status of women in this ethnic group is higher than that of men. If someone calls the name of his female family in front of a Beru man, he will be furious on the spot, causing dissatisfaction between both the host and the host. The Beja people in Sudan have some special taboos: in daily life, it is forbidden to beat and scold children.
Boys are not allowed to mention the names of their mothers and sisters; children over the age of 7 are not allowed to sleep with their mothers, and girls must live with their grandmothers; married men are not allowed to stay at home during the day in order to avoid their mother-in-law; the couple's pillows must not be misplaced, otherwise, it means that the couple's feelings are discord.