Customs and Traditions of Pakistan

1
Customs and Traditions of Pakistan

• The Pakistani culture, customs and traditions are
  an amalgamation of the Arab, Persian and native
  cultures. However these greatly differ in all
  regions / provinces of the country. From
  marriages to eating habits and from attire to
  recreation, there are varying shades, however
  very colourful and fascinating. Old people are
  given positions of prestige, honour and respect
  in Pakistani culture. Social life is simple with
  customs and traditions reflecting an Islamic
  touch.

2
 Marriages
Like all over the world, marriages in Pakistan
are full of hues, music and lot of food.
Marriages are generally arranged by the parents
and the would be partners, however, the trend is
changing but at a much slower pace where
marriages of own choice and choosing are allowed.
Sometimes the formal engagements may last from a
few months to many years, depending on the age of
the couple. In most of the cases, the bride and
groom meet for the first time on their wedding
day. It can be said that marriages in Pakistan
are not a union of two individuals, but a long
lasting relation of two families. Wedding
rituals are elaborate and usually take four to
five till the actual wedding day. The initial two
days are generally meant for the ritual of
"Mehndi", wherein Hina is applied to both the
groom and the bride by the female friends and
relatives of both sides.
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The friends of the bride and groom also dance at
"Dholak" (indigenous drum, to which use of
electronics and play back on cassette players is
also on the increase.  Then is the wedding day,
when a cleric gets a "Nikah Nama" (the marriage
contract) signed by both the partners in the
presence of witnesses of both families. A man and
a woman must repeat thrice that he / she is
willing to enter into the matrimonial bond on
his/her own will. After the ceremony, sweets are
distributed as a omen of good will, followed by a
sumptuous meal. The bride usually wears a
decorated red dress with lot of jewellary, while
the groom normally attires in "Sherwani" - a long
closed collar coat. The next day, the groom
hosts a luncheon/dinner called "Walima" to
introduce the bride to his entire family and
friends. On the wedding and Walima days, the
bride wears heavily stitched wedding dress,
normally red in colour and heavy gold ornaments
and bangles. 
4
Food

• The Pakistani cosines are rich in oil and
  chilies. Unlike the Indian food, Pakistani dishes
  must include meat, chicken and beef, though pork
  is totally forbidden as per Islamic teachings.
  Although eating habits differ from regions to
  region, the mainstay of the Pakistani diet is
  "chapatti or roti" made from flour. "Lassi" (
  Butter Milk) a usual drink made like a milkshake
  in a home made utensil from curd/yogurt and water
  is usually taken at lunch time, especially during
  the summers as it beats the effects of hard
  weather. It is usually customary to eat a dessert
  after the dinner, which mainly comprises "Kheer"
  (made from rice and milk) and sweetened rice
  "Zarda". Rice though scarcely eaten in many
  parts, pullaÂo (lightly fried rice with
  vegetables) and biryani (rice with meat or
  vegetables and spices) are the two very favourite
  dishes of rice, especially on marriages. "Mithai"
  a kind of sweet made of corn flour, sugar and
  milk is the favourite sweet for all ages.

Freshly baked sugar syrup ripe bright red
"Jalebis"
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Eating Habits

• There are significant regional differences in
  cuisine.
• Curries of meat and chicken rich in spices are
  preferred in the south,
• while barbecuing and beef is more common in the
  north.
• The junk food is very popular in youngsters in
  cities, specially with the introduction of fast
  food like the McDonalds and Kentucky Fried
  Chicken. However, the indigenous snacks include
  samosas (deep-fried pastry triangles filled with
  potatoes, mixed vegetables or minced meat) and
  pakoras (floured and deep-fried vegetables).
• Tea with milk is the most popular drink both in
  urban and rural areas.
• In most of the rural areas, people sit on the
  ground to eat, while the use of dinning tables is
  very common in urban areas.
• As a respect for the food, Muslims eat only with
  the right hand, specially dishes of rice which
  are usually eaten with hands and cleaning the
  plate completely so as not to waste the food.
• In functions / gatherings, men and women
  generally eat separately.
• During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast for 30
  days and do not eat or drink from sunrise to
  sundown. The fast is broken at the time of the
  evening prayer, mostly with dates and pakoras.
• Whenever visiting Pakistan, or for that matter
  any Muslim country, foreigners are expected not
  to eat in front of the fasting Muslims as a
  respect for the scared month

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Rest and Recreation

• Sports are the real pastime and recreation for
  the majority of Pakistanis.
• Kabaddi and Kushti (indigenous wrestling), horse
  riding (specially tent pegging), polo and
  swimming are some of the indigenous sports that
  are widely played all over Pakistan, though
  cricket, squash and hockey have surpassed all
  other local games and are very popular. Pakistan
  has earned good name in all these three sports.
  Soccer and tennis are also played.
• Going to the cinemas is a popular pastime in
  addition to watching television and playing video
  games.
• Picnics are not very common since the majority of
  people hail from low-medium income groups.
  However, on holidays, families and friends do
  spend days in parks and take along food and play
  badminton etc. Visiting friends and family
  members are all popular forms of recreation.

7
Attire
The dress in Pakistan varies from region to
region, keeping in view the climatic conditions
of the area. However, it is colourful and eye
dazzling, specially on weddings, when the women
folk wear brightly coloured attire with matching
ornaments / jewellary. Men usually wear "Shalwar
Kameez", though on marriages, embroidery is also
added even for men.
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In rural areas, as a sign of respect, turbans or
caps are worn by men, especially by the village
elders. Women in rural areas and most of the
women in urban areas as well, cover their head
and most of the upper body as a religious
obligation and also as a mark of modesty. The
dress of Kalash people in remote areas of Chitral
is unique with black robes and colourful
embroidery.
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Music and Dance
Dances are very popular all over the country in
varying forms. Owing to the Islamic culture,
mostly men take part in dances publicly, however
female dancers too exhibit their skills in group
dances and in theatre and cinema. "Luddi and
Bhangra" are famous dances in Punjab, at the beat
of big drums and are normally related to harvest
season, while "Khattak Dance" (left) basically a
sword dance is much popular in NWFP. Musical
instruments like Dhol (drum), Shehnai (clarinet),
sitar (three stringed instrument), sarod, alghoza
(two wind piped flute) and flute are some of the
widely used instruments.
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Music and Dance
Above a group of dancers is seen performing "Hey
Jamalo" from Sind, based on the fabled Jamalo,
who returning victorious was greeted by his tribe
"Hey Jamalo". On the right a group of dancers is
seen performing "Hey Jamalo" from Sind, based on
the fabled Jamalo, who returning victorious was
greeted by his tribe "Hey Jamalo". While the
music in the rural areas continue to follow the
regional and indigenous tastes and traditions,
music in the urban areas is changing over from
the film music, which once used to be the most
popular genre, to pop music. Many groups and solo
artists have thrived the music scene and people
have a wide choice to make from. However,
traditional classical and religious music is
still available as are film songs.