Somali living customs
The Federal Republic of Somalia (Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya; Arabic: م م ا ل ا لSomalia is also the only sea route for cargo ships from various countries to enter and exit the Suez Canal. Due to the continuous civil war and the collapse of social and educational systems for many years, local people have been using piracy as a business since the 20th century. Pirates in this country extort merchant ships from various countries every year, with an amount of money that is difficult to estimate, so that the United Nations launches investigations and attacks on Somali pirate bases.
Somalia is divided into 18 states, with 87 districts under jurisdiction of towns and villages. The states are: Lower Juba, Middle Juba, Gedo, Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle, Benadir, Baidoa, Bakool, Hiran, Gargudud, Mudug, Nugar, Bari, Sanaag, Togdar, Hargeysa, Avadal, Sool. The capital is Mogadishu. The official languages are Somali and Arabic, and English and Italian are commonly spoken.
Most of Somalia has a subtropical and tropical desert climate, and the southwest has a tropical grassland climate, with high temperatures all year round, dryness and little rain. Annual precipitation decreases from 500-600 mm from south to north to below 100 mm.
Somalis treat people with courtesy, pay attention to courtesy in their speech and behavior, pay attention to etiquette in social interactions, and are full of strong national sentiments. When Somalis interact with foreign guests, they always take the initiative to say hello, shake hands warmly, and ask questions when greeting, making them friendly and friendly. When meeting friends who are familiar with each other, most of them hug each other and make a wide range of greetings, such as "I'm so happy to see you","How have you been in good health recently","How have you been in life","Are family members harmonious","There must be results in your career", etc. The language of greetings is linked one after another, and sometimes we also have to ask how the camel is doing. It seems endless and often lasts for a long time. When local people meet dignitaries of prominent status and status, they always kneel on their right leg. When men and women meet, they usually smile to express their greetings and don't talk much to each other. It is even rare for men and women to shake hands with each other. In many rural areas, when men, women and children meet foreign guests, they always sing and dance around the guests after taking the initiative to say hello to them to express their warm welcome.
is in a place of social interaction. Somalis attach great importance to their own dress and pay great attention to whether their dress is appropriate. Whether they are attending formal occasions, visiting friends, or receiving guests at home, the vast majority of people with status, status, and higher education wear suits, ties, and polished leather shoes. Many Somalis also like to wear national costumes. Men always wear large cotton robes, and women often wear colorful dresses and a colorful headscarf.
Due to the hot climate, dryness and lack of rain, Somalis of status and status like to wear leather sandals with the rear part exposed at the heel. Ordinary people like to wear plastic foam slippers, and they are the kind that has long been outdated in China. Slippers that walk with the upper between two toes. It is precisely because the local popularity of paying attention to dressing is a reflection of civilization and courtesy and respect for others. Therefore, foreign guests should pay attention to dressing demure, neat and appropriate.
Clothing contains rich cultural connotations, which can reflect a nation's cultural literacy, spiritual outlook, development level of material civilization, as well as a person's social status, cultural cultivation, aesthetic awareness and attitude towards oneself, others, and life. China has always been famous in the world as a "land of etiquette." When China goes to Somalia to open up markets and develop careers, they should pay more attention to their own clothes in business exchanges, reflect the spiritual outlook of the Chinese nation with appropriate clothes and establish a good image of China. When conducting business with Somalis, you first need to consider the needs of the venue and content of the event. You need to choose clothing based on your body, temperament, age, identity, etc., and pay attention to the hairstyles, makeup and accessories that match the clothing. In short, the clothes I wear can show the beauty of harmony when participating in ceremonial activities.
invited to visit a Somali friend's home, you should arrive on time at the time agreed in advance. At that time, the host will happily and enthusiastically welcome you outside the courtyard. When guests enter the house, they always bring a happy and festive atmosphere to the host's home. The hostess will lead all her children to salute and welcome the guests one by one, and then leave the living room one by one. The male host began to have a warm and friendly conversation with the guests.
Somalis are very particular about the drinks they use to entertain guests. Although they vary from region to region and ethnicity, Somalis, who mainly rely on beef, mutton and dairy products, have become a regular drink for Somalis to leave for a while in daily life. Therefore, camel milk has become the traditional hospitality drink of Somalis.
Among the nomadic people in the north, tea is an indispensable beverage in people's lives and a popular entertainment beverage in social interactions. Tea reception has almost become synonymous with banquets and hospitality among many nomadic people. Unlike the vast majority of Somalis who like to drink tea, the Dikir and Rahanwein people do not have the habit of drinking tea, but they like to use butter to make green coffee beans as a drink. Whenever guests arrive, the Dikir and Rahwin people bring up the cooked butter coffee beans, place the coffee beans on a wooden plate, and pass them on to each guest to taste. After the guests eat the coffee beans, the host hands the hot soup with the brewed coffee beans to the guests and asks each person to rub it on their arms and hair. Then the guests imitate the owner and inhale the butter into their nostrils. A special sense of satisfaction and pleasure will be created immediately.
The meals served by Somalis to entertain guests are uniquely prepared, have special flavors, and are rich and delicious. The staple foods for guests include rice, corn cakes, coconut meat cakes, dairy cakes, etc., and the non-staple foods include beef, mutton, chicken, eggs, seafood, vegetables, etc. Bananas are Somalia's main agricultural product. They are huge, have thin skin, thick meat, and sweet taste. They have been selling well in the international market and enjoy the reputation of "the sweetest banana in the world." When Somalis entertain guests, bananas are indispensable on the table. There are bananas to be eaten raw, banana rice, banana cakes, and banana wine. During business exchanges, Somalis like to invite guests to restaurants and hotels for meals and entertain them with Western food. Many Somalis also invite guests to their homes and entertain them with traditional meals after they have a close relationship with their customers.
Somalia is rich in frankincense and myrrh, and has been a famous "spice country" since ancient times. Frankincense is a gelatinous body formed by the solidification of resin exuding from the stem bark of frankincense trees. It is mild in nature and bitter in taste. It can be used as a drug to promote blood circulation, circulation of qi, and pain. It can treat abdominal and abdominal pain, traumatic injuries, and carbuncle swelling. It has significant curative effect and has very high economic value. Myrrh is also a gelatinous body formed by the solidification of fat juice exuding from the stem bark of trees. It can be made into drugs that reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and promote blood circulation and smooth circulation. Frankincense and myrrh have long been famous as spices.
Since ancient times, people have had the habit of lighting spices in mosques, wedding ceremonies or rooms where guests are received. Due to the hot weather, when people gather together, the smell secreted by their armpits fills the halls, which is sometimes unbearable. Therefore, in Somali families, a little frankincense is often burned, and the fragrance fills the house for a long time. Every time guests arrive, after the host entertain the guests to drink a drink, he takes out a refined, small and exquisite copper stove, puts in burning charcoal, and removes a little spices. The fragrance in the room suddenly overflows and seeps people. The host and guest are in this kind of fragrant atmosphere. Have a warm and friendly conversation.
There is a popular saying in Somalia: "If you raise a few camels at home, you can not worry about food or clothing." Because camels can provide most of the necessities they need for Somali nomads: cheese made from camel milk is also the main local food, boots made of camel skin can prevent the scorching desert from scalding the herdsmen's feet, and camel hair can be exchanged for the daily necessities you need. During the famine years, you can rely on camel meat, camel milk, camel blood, etc. to make a living. To this day, camels are still popular in many parts of Somalia as a symbol of wealth and a means of payment. For example, camels are used to provide compensation or compensation for murders caused by civil disputes; when men and women prepare for weddings, the man's family first sends several camels to the woman's family as an engagement betrothal gift. A certain family holds a marriage celebration ceremony, and people drive camels from all directions to gather together to celebrate. As the sun sets in the west, the herdsmen end their day of grazing life, drive camels back to the camping place, beat happy drums, and danced beautiful dances to eliminate the fatigue of running during the day and welcome the new day easily.
Somalia is also a country with many taboos. Foreign guests need to pay attention to being familiar with, understanding and respecting it. In the local area, no one is allowed to enter mosques without permission. Men are not allowed to reach out to shake hands with women, ask women's age in person, inquire about other people's wages, ask others curiously whether they have lovers, and say anything detrimental to the Somali country or nation. In Muslim areas, no one is allowed to eat pork, horse meat, donkey meat, mule meat, etc., and no alcohol is allowed. Camels play an important role in the lives or minds of Somali people. For a long time, people have been accustomed to using the number of camels they own as a criterion to measure wealth and wealth. People love camels and cherish camels. When meeting each other, they must also greet camels in addition to greeting people. They must not speak profane words on camels during conversations, and they are not allowed to take photos of camels without permission. Somalis have a history of respecting camels.