Botswana customs

Botswana (English name: Botswana), also translated as Botswana, is a landlocked country in southern Africa. Desert areas account for more than half of the country's land area. The climate is hot, there is little rainfall, and there is not much cultivated land. Animal husbandry, mainly cattle raising, is one of the pillars of the national economy. The capital is Gaborone. The official language is English.

The total population of Botswana is 2233800 (2013), but the vast majority of the residents are Tswana of the Bantu language family. There are eight main tribes in the country: Nwatto, Kunna, Nwakeice, Tawana, Katra, Leyte, Rolong and Trokwa; the Nwatto is the largest, accounting for about 40% of the population; and there are about 10,000 Europeans and Asians. The main religious beliefs are Protestantism, Catholicism and traditional religions. Most people in the city believe in Christianity, and most people in the countryside believe in traditional religions. The customs and etiquette of the people can be said to be unique.

Botswana people are simple and honest, quick in handling things, rich in emotions, generous in character, enthusiastic and unrestrained, and are known for being optimistic. It is this character that creates their traditional customs of paying attention to etiquette, treating others sincerely, and being hospitable. When Botswana residents meet foreign guests, they always take the initiative to warmly greet "Dumag La", which means "Hello, Sir" or "Hello, Your Excellency"; or "Dumag Ma", which means "Hello, Madam" and "Hello, Miss".

On some occasions, guests are also said to "Hello, Comrade" or "Comrade, you are lucky to have trouble", but the usage rate of this greeting is not very high. When meeting friends who are familiar with each other, they always keep saying "Pula" and "Pula". Pula is the name of Botswana's currency. When foreign guests hear local people say "Pula", they must never mistake them for talking about money. In fact, they are greeting each other sincerely and friendly, because in Tswana,"Pula" means "rainwater", which reflects how much people yearn for rainwater living in a country with drought and little rain.

Botswana people usually shake hands as a courtesy to meet. When people of similar status and age meet, they first say "hello" to each other, and then shake hands with each other to express their greetings. When meeting friends who are familiar with each other, in addition to meeting and shaking hands to greet each other, they should also hug and kiss each other's cheeks to express deep friendship. When people are extremely close to each other meet, shake hands and greet each other, the two sides hold hands and talk until the end of the conversation.

When meeting elders, in order to show humility and respect, they always first hold their own right hand with their left hand, and then extend their right hand to hold the other's hand. When meeting chiefs or people of relatively high status, they always squat or kneel on the ground, raise their right hand, clench them into a fist, and keep saying words such as "Your Excellency's health" and "Thank you for coming". Local women often bow and curtsy, and many women in the city also like to shake hands to express their greetings. However, Botswana is a country with strict boundaries between men and women. Foreign male guests should not take the initiative to reach out to shake hands with local women, nor should they talk with women alone, let alone be particularly enthusiastic about women.

Botswana people especially like to make friends. When they meet each other for the first time, they shake hands and greet each other, say a few words of greetings, and have a conversation for a while. They may very likely have a feeling of regret for meeting you late. They immediately call you brother, and sincerely invite you to his home and entertain you with the best food stored in the home.

Botswana people's diet is rich in national characteristics. The staple foods include corn rice, sorghum rice, etc., and the non-staple foods include vegetables, wild plants, poultry meat, beast meat, etc. The usual cooking method is to boil corn kernels or sorghum rice, mix them with dishes made of meat and vegetables or wild plants, and finally sprinkle with some salt and chili noodles. It tastes delicious and extremely appetizing.

In the local area, in March and April every year, many families catch a kind of crawling caterpillar called "Mobaha clam" from Baha clam trees, remove all its internal organs, wash it, fry it in oil, roast it over fire or boil it in salt water, and eat it It tastes delicious and is not inferior to seafood such as shrimp and crabs. A person can eat hundreds of them in one meal. This caterpillar is about 5 centimeters long, green, and is covered with soft spin-like hair. It makes its home and eats leaves for a living. It has a strong reproductive ability. It parasites on tree trunks in March and April every year. Local residents can catch thousands of them a day, simmer them in salt water, dry them in the sun, or dry them for a long time. They can be preserved for a long time. They can be taken out and tasted every major festival or VIP guests come.

in Botswana. Outsiders will feel firsthand that they are in a world of cattle. You will soon discover that the customs and habits of this country are associated with cattle. In the streets and alleys of Gaborone, many people wear cow patterns printed on their clothes. Many goods in shops use cow trademarks, and a bull is cast on the currency in circulation... In the center of the huge national emblem hanging above the Presidential Palace and Parliament Building is a eye-catching cow head; driving on the road will be blocked from time to time by groups of fat and strong cows.

This is because Botswana does not have much cultivated land, but it has vast grasslands. Even those desert areas grow weeds and shrubs, which are suitable for raising cattle. It has gradually formed an animal husbandry production pattern dominated by cattle farming, and the number of cattle per capita ranks first among African countries. In this country, a person's wealth is proportional to the number of cattle he raises: the more cattle there are, the richer he appears, and the higher his social status.

People "store" their wealth in the form of cattle, buy cattle when they have money on hand, and sell a few cattle when they lack money. From the government to the common people, the few own a few or a dozen cattle, and the most have hundreds or even thousands of cattle. It is not surprising for business owners, big business owners and high-level ones to own thousands of cattle locally. There are many farmers in this country who raise more than 10,000 heads of cattle.

Many city people have their own pastures in the countryside, where they raise cattle. It is very interesting to say that Botswana's cattle are gentle. As long as there is grass and water, they will rest in place after having enough food and drink. The boat will never get separated, and they rarely leave the range of their owners 'pasture. Even if a cow is lost, it will not be lost, because there is a small wooden sign with the owner's name, address, and phone number on the horns. At that time, there will always be a good-hearted person calling the owner to inform the owner or sending the cow to the owner's ranch.

Botswana has many national festivals, but the most lively ones are the cattle exhibition and competition expo held in July every year. At that time, there will be a sea of people, cattle mountains and cattle sea, and the specifications are grand. To celebrate festivals or hold a traditional ceremony, Botswana people slaughter cattle and hold a "beef banquet". When there is a grand celebration, more than a hundred people will be slaughtered, known as the "Hundred Ox Banquet".

In the capital city of Gaborone, every weekend, cars drive out from government offices or residential areas, pass through the city, and head to the suburbs. There were either families or bachelors in the car, who all used the weekend to visit their cattle on the ranch, including government ministers. When they arrived at the ranch, they checked their cows one by one. At night, the moon is bright in the sky, stars are all over the sky, and there is a cool breeze blowing on the silent grassland. People drink beer, talk about happy things, and admire the cattle, making it feel happy.

Botswana people regard spending weekends with cattle as the greatest joy and enjoyment of life. When you come to the ranch, the sky is vast, the air is fresh, you can stay away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area, avoid the worries of work, and enjoy the joy of life to the fullest. More importantly, the floating of all one's property-the cow in front of him gives people an unusual sense of satisfaction. On Sunday afternoon, these cattle hunters rushed back to the city, ready to continue their own work the next day.

There is a popular saying in the local area: "In Botswana, young people cannot marry daughter-in-law without cows." This appropriately reflects that cattle are inseparable from people's lives. When young men and women are engaged, the man must send a certain number of cattle to the woman as a betrothal gift; when a daughter is married, the parents must send several cattle as a dowry; on the day of the official wedding, the man's family must slaughter several cattle and organize a unique "beef wedding banquet".

According to popular local custom, whenever a family holds a wedding, friends from all over the country will come to congratulate them with a cow. The more people come to congratulate, the happier the host family will be, because this way they will receive more gifts. In rural areas, the venue for the "beef wedding banquet" is generally chosen in the square of a tribal village, and the time starts in the afternoon of a certain auspicious day.

During the banquet, the host served each guest a plate containing shredded beef, topped with spicy seasonings, green beans and rice. Everyone formed a circle and sat on the ground, holding the plate in their left hand and holding the food in their right hand and delivering it to their mouths, eating with gusto. While eating beef, people talked about topics of interest, and from time to time said a few warm words to the bride and groom to express their blessings.

When the owner of the

noticed that the food on the guest's plate was almost finished, he immediately added some more. As long as you pay a little attention, you will find that on the plate in the hands of the guests, the male's is beef and the female's is beef offal. It turns out that this is also a local custom. As for why this is done, even many local people cannot explain or understand it.

At night, countless torches lit up the wedding banquet scene. After people had enough food and drink, the bride and groom invited the guests to sing and dance, and the wedding ceremony reached a craze. When one person sings a song, everyone opens up their voices and harmonizes with each other. The dance with shaking bodies and rough movements shakes the earth; the singing with a bold voice and a cheerful rhythm rings through the night sky. It was not until the next morning that people left happily.

Botswana is famous for its exquisite craftsmanship. Animal skin products are the unique skills of Botswana men. Clothing, mattresses, handbags, sandals, etc. made of cowhide, sheepskin and wild animal skins attract foreign tourists to buy and keep them as souvenirs. The figures or animals carved with ivory are lifelike and unforgettable. The mattress woven by local women using brown skin as raw material is soft to the hand and is not easy to break. When laid on the bed, it will be cool in summer and keep warm in winter, making it a best-selling product among tourism products.