Consulting Across Culture
Submitted by: – Navjot Singh (H00019590)
Submitted to: – Joanna Drakakis
Punjabi Culture
It is one of the oldest and richest cultures of the world. The scope, history, sophistication and complexity of the culture are vast. The Punjabi culture is the culture of the Punjabi people who are now distributed throughout the world. Bhangra is one of the many Punjabi musical art forms that is increasingly being listened to in the west and is becoming a mainstream favourite. There are many dances, normally performed at times of celebration, including harvests, festivals, and weeding’s. The background of the dances can be non-religious and religious. Punjabi Language is written with the Gurmukhi alphabet in India. In Pakistan, the Punjabi language is written with the Shahmukhi alphabet which is like the Urdu language alphabet.
Punjabi Dance has a very rich tradition of dances, particularly the folk ones. The exuberance and vitality of its people are vigorously displayed in their folk dances. Giddha is a popular folk dance of Punjab, performed by women of the region. The most common clothing of Punjabi women is the salwar kameez which is worn along with bright coloured dupattas. The pugs or the turbans are a must among the Punjabi men or the Sikhs. The men folk generally dress up with loose pants or slacks with a collared shirt or t-shirt. However, their traditional costume is the kurta and the pyjama. Traditional shoes, called Juttis, are extremely popular with men in both the rural and urban areas.
Curd and buttermilk is a must in every Punjabi meal. Punjabi’s prefer more of wheat products and only on special occasions they prefer rice. Rice is never eaten plain for its always seasoned and flavoured with cumin and fried onions and accompanied with Rajma. A Punjabi’s breakfast generally comprises of stuffed Parathas with vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, radish, cottage cheese, onion or peas and a glass of buttermilk, Sarson Ka Saag and Makki ki Roti with mint and onion chutney are the common dishes for lunch. Mah ki Dal, Bhuna Gosht, Tandoori Roti and Dahi Raita are preferably eaten at dinner time.
Often while speaking about Punjabi festivals, the two most popular ones that come to mind are Vaisakhi and Diwali (also celebrated in the Sikh community as Bundi Chhor Diwas), Lohri is a Punjabi festival, fast gaining popularity that is celebrated on the longest night of the year. Lorhi rituals shows respect to the natural element of fire. During the festival, people light bonfires and throw popcorn and sesame seeds in to the fire going around it is singing and dancing until the fire goes out. Milk and water is also poured into the bonfire. They also thank the Sun God to continue seeking his protection.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. It is world’s third largest religion after christianty and Islam. Hinduism is the dominant religion in India, where Hindus from about 84% of the total population. The huindu culture is one that revolves around love and respect for others. The Hindu have many values and beliefs that make up their culture and help guide them through life. There are many variations to Hindu valves with the following common threads, truth, drama (DAR-muh), karma (Kar-muh) and the belief in a supreme being. One of the main values of the Hindu culture is known as Dharma. Dharma means striving for righteousness and upholding moral laws.
Sanskrit is the official sacred language in Hinduism. It is not very popular today, but it is still spoken in India and recognized as one of the official language.Tamil is the second language of Hinduism.It is the language of the 12 Tirumurias and the Naalaayira Divya Prabhandham.
Muslim Culture
It is to represent God, as their culture does not believe in depicting God in any other form. There are over a billion Muslims throughout the world, and through they speak hundreds of different languages and live in dozens of different countries, they still share common Muslim culture. Muslim customs and traditions include Islamic/Muslim clothing, food, weeding traditions and other aspects of Islamic life that Muslims have adopted in their respective countries. The original Muslim literature is in Arabic, the Prophet’s Language. Most of the literature is religious in nature. The Quran is the source of many aspects of Islamic culture. Certain acts or rituals that Muslims do almost subconsciously are encouraged, or allowed by Allah, or mandated, in the Quran. The standard greeting amongst all Muslims the world over is “As-Salaamu Alaykum.”
Festivals like Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha and Lailat al Miraj are classic examples of the influences of religion in the lives of Muslim people. According to Muslim culture, marriageis, in the words of Mohammed,’half of religion’. The bonding of two souls in holy matrimony is looked upon as a legal bond and social contract.
Art is an important part of Muslim culture. The abstract, decorative and floral designs are unique to Islamic art and architecture. Arabic calligraphy is a recognized art form used to write verses from the Qur’an.
Islamic music is mostly played in played in public services. Devotional music is enjoyed by contemporary Muslims all over the world. The common music forms include Arab classical and North Indian Classical music.
Canadian culture
The culture of Canada embodies the artistic, culinary, literary, humour, musical, political and social elements that are representative of Canada and Canadians. Its culture has been influenced by European culture and traditions, especially British and French, and by its own indigenous cultures. The population has also been influenced by American culture because of a shared language, proximity, television and migration between two countries.
In Quebec, cultural identity is strong, and many commentators speak of a French-Canadian culture as distinguished from English Canadian culture. Official symbols of Canada include the maple leaf, beaver, and the Canadian horse.
Canadian cuisine varies widely depending on the region but the common contenders for the Canadian national food include poutine and butter tarts. Other popular Canadian made foods include indigenous fries bread bannock, French tourtière, Kraft Dinner and many more.
The three earliest cuisines of canada have first nations, English, and french Roots, with the traditional cuisine of English canada closely related to british and American cuisine, while the traditional cuisine of french canad has envolved from french cuisine and the winter provisions of fur traders. The Montreal-style bagel and Montreal-style smoked meat are both food items originally developed by Jewish communities living in Montreal.
