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Understanding a Culture through Food - Cultural Festivals

KENYA | Friday, 15 February 2013 | Views [394] | Scholarship Entry

In my country there are 42 tribes .Each tribe has its own cultural activities and festivals . The festivals are of different occasions. The occasions consists of various seasons in life, i.e during birth ,initiation, marriage ceremonies. Every tribe has its own unique ways of celebrating this occasions . There is appreciation and value of life in this different occasions and diverse due to the different cultures.
In my own tribe which is in Central,Kenya named as the Kikuyu Tribe. During birth there are a lot of celebrations. Various dishes are well prepared to serve the guests and particularly the mother of the child. When a boy is born there have to five whispers and if its a girl child its normally four of them. Actually the women dance with a lot vigor so as to welcome the new born child .
Food , various drinks and fruits are well prepared and given to the mother of the child so as she can gain more strength . She is also assisted by other fellow women in various duties of her particular family . The father of the child has also a task of getting sure that there is the right and balanced diet for the family.
Then when the child reaches the teenage age that is twelve to fourteen years he has to go a lite of passage from childhood to adulthood. The girl child has to be taught how be responsible of herself , to be tidy ,to cook various dishes and be in self control .
The boy had to go through circumcision . This period is of about eight days .He has to be given advise from the other male adults .Various cultural dishes are prepared during the eight days .for the celebrations.
The third major ceremony is the marriage ceremony . In the ceremony there various dishes prepared. In case the couple is from different cultures, both of them have to be considered . Various food and cuisines has to be offered to the people at the wedding ceremony .Traditional foods as well as the modern cuisine has to given to particular individuals.One has to take he/she is comfortable with , it always depend on one's taste and what he/she likes.
The world is so diverse with different cultures and traditions . One of the main thing to understand a particular culture is through what they eat and drink. Understanding a culture through food is very vital . Respect of various culture is very important. Finally there is a saying in my own culture that says whoever stays at home says that its only his/her mother who's the best cook.

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013

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