RSSAfrican Peoples Cultures And Traditions
Nov 20
Africa About Africa, Africa, African culture, African movies, African music, African people, African traditions No Comments
Africa is the birthplace of civilization. There have been so many societies that started on this continent, and some would dare to call it the birthplace of humanity. There are many different religions, different people, and so many cultures to take in.
Weddings
Every society has some sort of wedding ceremony. The centerpieces of weddings in any culture have always been religion and spirituality as a rule, though in Africa there is a sense of family. This is more than two people joining, this is an entire family. The traditions involved in the ceremony date back hundreds or thousands of years.
In Africa, the entire continent is ruled by it’s religious diversity. Everywhere you go you can find a melting pot of different religions. Muslims, Christians, Hindus, even religions that are unique to Africa.
Weddings will always be complicated. They are not like the wedding ceremonies that you have become used to seeing in other nations. In fact if you attend such a wedding you might find that it can last for several days and involve many different couples.
While it might not be excusable in other nations, polygamy is something that is incredibly common on the continent of Africa. A man can have many wives, each of them bought from their respective family. Such a fee is known as a bridewealth.
There are also the prearranged marriages, which are a major part of the culture. A girl might actually be engaged before her birth. Two families can either be very close, or they might actually have a business arrangement that surrounds the marriage.
African traditional wedding ceremonies always involve song, dance and bright, festive colors. They also symbolize the transition between childhood and adulthood, although most African newlyweds are little more than children themselves. In fact, it is not uncommon for people in African to be married at thirteen or younger.
You won’t find much evidence of divorces in African culture, and therefore it is not done very often. Typically problems that could be seen as a divorce are discussed and a solution will be found. It is an investment by the entire family, as the two families are joined once the wedding ceremony is completed.
Music
As we mentioned, music and dance are extremely important in African culture. Since reading and writing came late to Africa, music and dance was the primary form of communication. African music and dance was based on oral tradition where storytellers relied on their body movements as well as musical instruments to tell their tales. African music is characterized by its unique rhythms, beats and harmonies. Though early African musicians were masters of many instruments, the quintessential African instrument is the drum which keeps the beat and drives the dance.
You can learn more about African culture and traditions and listen to free African traditional music at the African Side website.
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