The way I understand culture might be different from another person's own, for me culture is everything we do, it is not only about our language or food, culture is beyond that, the way we are trained, the way we eat, the way we respect elders summed up to become a part of us which is also something I would call culture.
We have different types of culture in my country, the type of food you eat can be different from mine and this is unique to you which is your culture, some parts of the country loves to celebrate masquerade in their distinctive way which can be different from the other tribe, all of these are part of culture.
I’m from Nigeria, and I am proudly Yoruba. The way we greet elders is very different from other tribes, as a Yoruba girl, I was taught to kneel down when greeting older people, you dare not stand when greeting someone who is older than you, kneeling down show a sign of well cultured girl, while my brothers would lie flat on the floor to greet. It may look strange to others but to us, it shows deep respect. And respect is a big deal in Yoruba culture.
Another thing I love is our way of greeting in general. We have greetings for morning, afternoon, and evening. We even greet people based on what they are doing. For example, if someone is sweeping, we say eku ise. These little greetings show that we see one another and we care.
Also, in Yoruba culture, family is very important. You are not just raised by your parents alone your uncles, aunties, grandparents, even neighbors, all play a part. If you do something wrong, anybody can correct you. And no one will say it’s not their business. That sense of community is part of what I really love.
When it comes to celebration, Yoruba people do not carry last. Naming ceremonies, weddings, burials, you will always see colourful clothes, music, and food. We like to enjoy ourselves. And talking drums? That thing speaks, The way it sounds, it’s like the drum is talking directly to your soul.
As a Yoruba lady I can never limit myself to my culture alone, I admire other tribe because Nigeria has many beautiful cultures and I wish to explore some of it, for instance, the Tiv culture from Benue State. I love their black and white traditional attire, It's so bold and unique. A friend of mine who has attended their wedding ceremony told me about their energetic dances, she said it is fun to watch so I would really love to witness one someday
Another culture I admire is the Efik culture from Cross River. Their traditional weddings are topnotch, starting from the way the bride will look stunning, to the attire they dance with, also one of the popular Calabar festival is our of the world, they prioritize this festival and I love to witness this as well, I love their soups because I heard they are one of the best when it comes to cooking, I’ve tasted afang soup once and I loved it. One day I’d like to try making it myself.
And let’s not forget food. Have you try the the Yoruba soup as well,in Yoruba wedding especially in ibadan if you haven't prepare the local dish amala, ewedu, gbegiri, then the wedding is not yet complete, also the ijebu people love a distinctive type of food that is always prepared in every of the occasions, they believe if their local delicacy is not among the menu then it is never complete.
In my opinion, culture is not only what you are born into. It’s also what you grow to love and understand, it is how things are been done in our environment, It’s the things that make us feel at home, even when you’re not at home. It is something that connect us together as one when we meet outside, It’s how you treat people, how you think, how you talk, and what you believe.
I believe we should all be proud of our culture, but still be open to learning from others. There’s no “better” culture. We are just different, and that’s what makes the world interesting.
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This is my response to this week's episode of smp community prompt #smp-w26
