Culture of Tanzania

Tradition of Tanzanian

Shaking hands and Saying “Jambo” (hello) are the most common forms of greeting in Tanzania and it is considered very important to social manners. Tanzania is culturally diverse that is extremely rich in ancient cultures and traditions. Local people are known for their friendliness and courtesy to visitors, and there is a strong national pride that resonates across the country. With more than 120 ethnic groups and diverse religious beliefs living in Tanzania, it can sometimes be confusing for visitors to distinguish between bad manners and good manners. Culture Trip expands on some pervasive local traditions and customs to keep visitors on the right side of social etiquette.

Cultural belief considers the right hand to be clean and therefore suitable for eating and greeting people. In Tanzania, the sniffing of food is viewed with suspicion and disgust. Cultural beliefs dictate that food should only be smelled if there is something wrong with it or if it is believed to be rotten. It is also considered very offensive to the chef. Most cultures in Tanzania believe that the elderly have superior knowledge due to their long life and should be treated with the utmost respect.

 

Tanzanian Language

With around 129 different ethnic groups, Tanzania has developed the greatest linguistic diversity on the entire African continent with four major African linguistic bases ranging from Bantu, Cushitic, and Nilot to the least spoken Khoisan. One of the fundamental guidelines of independent Tanzania was that no ethnic group should dominate, and this was facilitated by the fact that none of the 129 tribes and sub-tribes constituted more than 10% of the total population of the country.

A government initiative continues to reduce tribal differentiation by promoting Swahili. Languages in Tanzania also include 40 endangered languages, eight languages that are extinct, and three languages that have become extinct in recent years. And then there are 18 Tanzanian languages in development, as well as several Tanzanian sign languages. English is still spoken by some part of the population, having arrived in Tanzania during the British colonization of the country (after incorporation into German East Africa). In Tanzania all primary education is taught in Swahili, but when schoolchildren finish primary school and enter secondary school, the medium of instruction switches to English overnight.

 

Music and Dance- Tanzania

The traditional dance of Tanzania (ngoma) creates a living image that embraces the whole community in its message and serves as a channel to express feelings such as thanks and praise and to communicate with the ancestors. The main place for the mask dance is in the southeast, where it plays an important role in the Makonde initiation ceremonies.

Tanzania has an excellent music and dance scene that mixes influences from its more than 100 tribal groups, from the coastal and inland areas, and from tradition and modernity. Dar es Salaam is the center with the greatest variety of groups and styles. In Tanzania, music and dance are important ways of communicating and motivating.

 

Tanzanian Food

For most Tanzanians, no meal is complete without a preferred primary carbohydrate – corn, rice, cassava, sorghum, or bananas, for example. Bananas are preferred in the northwest, ugali (a thick pulp made from corn or sorghum) in the central and southwest regions, and rice in the south and along the coast.

The staple food is accompanied by a stew of fish, beef, goat, chicken or lamb or pieces of fried meat, along with various types of vegetables or spices, such as beans, leafy vegetables that resemble spinach, cassava leaves, pieces of pumpkin or sweet potatoes.

 

Marriage - Tanzania

The traditional wedding in Tanzania varies according to the ethnic group of the country. Tanzanian weddings often take place on Sundays during the preferred season of the year, namely Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Basically, the kanzu is the traditional wedding dress of men in the country. In wedding ceremonies, it is common for the groom to wear a white kanzu and a kofia.

Kofia is a rimless cylindrical hat with a flat crown that is often worn by men. Kofia is a Swahili word for hat. The hat can be worn with a chitenge or dashiki shirt. In both Tanzania and Kenya, the groom wears a white or black bisht on the kanzu to highlight her beauty. For the bride, the boubou/caftan is usually worn with a handkerchief or tie. In the traditional wedding ceremony, the bride’s kaftan is the same color as the groom’s dashiki. Tanzania, which spans African countries, has recently adopted the Asian style of India.

 

Traditional Dress-Tanzania

The dress traditions of Tanzania speak of modesty, brilliance, and ancient customs. For a European, the first impression of a Tanzanian folk costume is sometimes “too much”. Too many layers of fabric wrapped around the body in a thermoselt, too many colors and patterns, too much strange jewelry, etc. But if you look closer, you can see the harmony and uniqueness of a Tanzanian folk costume.

The locals feel absolutely at home with their colorful fabrics and pearl jewelry. More than 100 different tribes live in Tanzania. Each of them has its own traditions of dress, folk robes and decorations. It is difficult to distinguish a single national.But outside the country, clothes called “kanzu” and “kanga” are considered popular clothing in Tanzania.

 

Ethnic groups – Tanzania

There are more than 100 different ethnic groups and tribes in Tanzania. These ethnic groups are primarily of Bantu origin, with small Nilotic-speaking, and non-African minorities. Tanzania’s largest ethnic group is, the Sukuma, which only makes up about 16 percent of the country’s total population, followed by the Nyamwezi and Tanzanians are highly religious people who respect and observe each other’s religious beliefs.

Tanzania is gifted with the most majestic scenery and breathtaking wildlife. There is a lot of traditional and cultural activities is there. Most of the tribes in Tanzania, most of the people in the village, spend their time outdoors, so the hut is usually only reserved for sleeping and storing possessions.