“Punjabi Culture” - How strange is it?
In this article I shall outline some of the main aspects of Punjabi culture and how they differ from what people would consider to be the norm in the UK.
In the region of Punjab one of the key parts of the culture is their focus on upholding traditions. This can be seen most clearly at the time of a special occasion within a family such as a wedding. For example at the time of a girl’s wedding a traditional red bangle commonly known as the choora is supposed to be given from the maternal uncle and as a custom he has to put the bangles on her forearm. Similarly the maternal grandparents ought to send gifts to the bride which includes a set of clothes, some jewelry and other household goods. This practice of upholding seemingly meaningless tradition, particularly around weddings, is not too dissimilar from the traditions of wearing something old, something borrowed, something blue and something new along with the bride throwing her flowers behind her back.
Another key aspect of Punjabi culture is the food. In most Indian restaurants food tends to contain a lot of ghee, butter and cream making the dishes seem very heavy. However in most households in Punjab people prefer to use sunflower oil or some other form of refined oil for cooking. Most Punjabi dishes have onion, garlic, ginger, chilies and various other spices at their base, this mixture of ingredients is called the turka and it can be applied to almost any Punjabi dish. For a lot of Punjabi's food is seen as a way of a family coming together to enjoy a meal at various points in the day. This mentality can seem rather alien to some people in the UK with the hurried nature that a lot of people tend eat their meals with.
The last major aspect of Punjabi culture that will be discussed in this article is that of dress and clothing. The most common clothing of Punjabi women is the salwar kameez which is worn along with brightly colored duppattas. The salwar kameez comprises of a top piece and the bottom piece. The duppatta is a colorful cloth worn around the neck and it comes in vibrant colours which are designed with intricate works. Men generally dress up with loose pants or slacks with a collared shirt or t-shirt. However the traditional dress is the kurta pyjama, traditional Punjabi shoes called juttis are extremely popular with men in both rural and urban areas. This sense of wearing traditional dress everyday may seem alien to some people compared with the very casual sense of day to day fashion in the UK, however to the people of Punjab this is the norm.
To conclude Punjabi culture is not so much strange as it is different in comparison to that of the UK. I think that to use the word ‘strange’ can come across as offensive implying that being different somehow makes you strange. I believe that difference ought to be embraced not segregated by describing people’s traditions as strange.
Thank you for reading!
