Cameroonian customs and taboos

The Republic of Cameroon (French: République du Cameroun), commonly known as Cameroon, is a single republic located in central and western Africa. It borders Nigeria in the west, Chad and Central Africa in the northeast and east respectively, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo in the south. Cameroon's coastline is closely related to the Bay of Bonni, which is part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Cameroon is known as "Little Africa" due to its geological and cultural diversity, and its natural geographical features are quite rich. The highest peak in the area is the Cameroonian volcano in the southwest, while large cities include Douala, Yaoundé and Garoua, and are home to more than 200 ethnic and linguistic groups, but none of them have written language. French and English are the official languages.

Cameroon is famous for its national football team and local music styles, among which Makusa and Bikusi are the most famous.

The earliest inhabitants of Cameroon were the Baka tribe of the Pygmies. The Bantu speaking ethnic group first originated in the highlands of Cameroon, but most of them had been relocated before the European invasion.

diet custom

Most Cameroonian people like to eat rice with their hands. During meals, each person has two cups of water in front of him, one cup for drinking, and the other cup for washing hands before conversion. Put a pot of staple food and a pot of dishes on the mat. Everyone presses the edge of the rice basin with his left hand, and uses his right index finger, middle finger and thumb to pinch the staple food into a ball. Put it in the vegetable basin and roll it for a while. Hold a piece of meat or a piece of fish, put it in your mouth and eat it. The movements should be clean and tidy so that the food does not touch your fingers or spread on the mat.

Wedding and funeral etiquette

Weddings in some parts of Cameroon, Africa are so special that father-in-law must pull their newly married daughter-in-law over and throw her into a river, lake or swimming pool. Locals believe that the bride's "cold bath" can wash away all bad luck and bring good luck to the newlyweds.

The Bamilek people in Cameroon regard death as a "happy event" and celebrate it. After the chief died, his widow shredded the clothes the chief was wearing when he died. Everyone held the funeral ceremony with singing, dancing and drinking all night long. Two years after the chief was buried, he had to be exhumed and his skull was used as a sacrificial vessel. After the blacksmith died. The whole village stopped working to celebrate. After the death of an identified person or doctor, the body is buried in the house where the person lived before his death. After a pregnant woman dies, the baby is removed from her belly, and then people go down to the river to take a bath. After a childless person dies, rituals are not allowed.

business etiquette

Cameroonian people are very good at doing business. They pay attention to having good qualities, decent etiquette, sincerity, humility, enthusiasm and prudence in business activities. When China company personnel go to Cameroon to engage in commercial activities, they should pay attention to maintaining a good business demeanor, gentle demeanor, and sincere and humble attitude. They will also win trust, benefits and success.

main practices

Cameroonians are kind and charitable, and they regard helping friends for free as a virtue. There is no culture in Cameroon to collect tips, and they believe that accepting tips is an insult to their character. In Cameroon, if you want to do something illegal through bribery, you often have to hit a wall.

Main taboos

The art of tattooing has a long history in Africa. The patterns are different and the meanings are different. This is an ancestral secret of Africans and will never be revealed to outsiders. Therefore, in Cameroon, you must not point and comment on the knife marks carved on local people's faces or hands, let alone stare at each other for a long time, and don't unwittingly ask the meaning of these knife marks.