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 Anyone who is planning to visit the gorgeous continent of Africa, here are a few unique African traditions that first-time visitors must know.
• Pleasant Greetings
Just like the saying goes, "The first impression is the last impression", a sweetly said hello with a beautiful smile on face accompanied with a handshake is all it takes to make a good first impression for African people.
• Courteous and Lasting Relationships
African people have big hearts. They are welcoming, warm-hearted, and hospitable people who not only give a place on their dining table but have loads of respect for their guests as well. While visiting any African country you will get to experience warmth, kindness, and love all over. They believe in building lasting relationships that are filled with courteousness, politeness, and respect. Sure, the future is really important but Africans give immense value to the present time, the day we are living in. Meeting new people, welcoming them at homes, offering them tasty and unique traditional dishes, and developing lasting relationships is rooted deep in African culture, and everyone out there cherishes this beautiful custom with all their heart.
• Respectful Gestures for the Elders of Home
African culture is enriched with values and unique traditions all bound by the beautifully strong yet tender threads of respect, and love. Africans especially cater their elders with massive respect. When visiting their homes, let the elders ask you questions, and let them speak freely with you. They love to express themselves and share their inherited traditions and cultural values with other people. Additionally, on the dinner table, the meal is served to the elders first, otherwise, guests are given priority and all family starts eating later.
• Silence is Cherished During Meal
The meal is one of the most important time of the day in Africa. All family members sit together and enjoy the blessings spread amazingly on the table. There are certain rules that must be followed to enjoy the meal wholeheartedly, and being pleasantly silent is one of them. But it doesn't mean zipping your mouth fully. Small and fun talks are allowed but serious business stuff is not welcomed during meal hours. And such issues are discussed after a meal when all the members are present freely.
• Avoid Motion Calling
Using the motions of your hands is considered disrespectful and rude. To call someone use put your palm downwards and move your fingers inwards. This is the preferred method of calling someone with hand motion.
• Loud Kissing Sound to Call
This may be a little surprising and unusual for you, but this cute method of calling is really common in the African culture. People there create hissing or loud lip-smacking sounds to get make another person attentive of being called. If you listen to such sound, don't be surprised as it is a usual deal for the beautiful Africans.
• Learn to be Free, Flexible and Enjoy the Present Time as Nature's Present
African people are filled with love, tenderness, hope, confidence, and happiness from head to toe. Africans will wide open the horizon of optimism, flexibility, freedom, and hope for you, and you will learn to enjoy every second of the passing time with all your heart. These people make plans, for sure, but have an understanding in mind that things not always happen as planned, and this is how lie works. Africans are keen believers of "and life goes on". If something does not happen as they have desired, planned or have worked hard for, they will accept it as is, and move on, continue working hard with a positive mindset and encouraging attitude. There is no room for pessimism in this region, and you'll convert to this understanding within days.
• Flexibility of Time
Time seems to work in a unique fashion in Africa. Sure the clock tick tock same, but the concept of time is a bit delusional, different and malleable. African view about time does not dwell into strictness and stiffness of the schedule, and the future aspects of the things are not focussed stiffly rather the wisdom gained through past events and present situation pave the way to do the right thing. So, they do not frustrate themselves with worries of the future and live the present time to the fullest.
• Receiving Gifts
Among the unique African traditions that first-time visitors must know, the fine way of receiving and accepting gifts is one of the most important ones. If someone presents you any gift then receive it with both hands. This gesture symbolizes your thankfulness dripping with kind body posture.
• The concept of Personal Space
African cultures exhibit tight bonds, togetherness and sharing their space with others. The concept of personal space that is so strict and rigid in some parts of the world is supremely vague and delusional in this blissful region of the world. And sure Africans got reasons for that as well. Almost all Africans are born and raised with loads of other kids, sharing everything they possess wholeheartedly, and this concept is deep-rooted in their heart. So, if you find yourself accompanied by another African on an empty bus, greet it with a smile instead of frowning about personal space.
• Avoid Displaying Your Frustration, Impatience or Anger Publicly
Africans are very polite, and tender by heart. They have immense self-control, patience in their personality and avoid shaming people publicly. So, if something frustrating happens there, and you feel losing your temper then control yourself, and NEVER show any sort of negative sentiment in public.
• Manners of Dining Out
While in a restaurant ordering your meal, there is a possibility that the waiter brings another dish that you have not ordered. And after you mention his mistake to him, he says that that dish was not available. Sure, you may feel terrible, but hide it and be respectful and pleasing to him. As stated above, that is what you'll learn, being flexible.
By Amna A. for Ezega Blogs
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