A Somali Culture

          What defines a country? What makes Somalia different from England? Its agriculture? Its wealth? Or rather its people! Somalia would not be what it is now without its people. It’s the people of the past who have defined the culture of Somalia. What is culture? ‘Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit. It is what defines a people and what separates a country. It is who we have been and what we have become.’ –John Abbot . Culture is a system of belief, it is a way of life followed by a certain country. That way of life is fueled by the people, but based on the country. It is something that sets every country apart. Family life, clothing, food, religion and beliefs, geography and climate, arts, and games and sports, these things and many more define culture.



As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live. -Pope John Paul II
          Family life is an intrical part of a society and a culture. Somalian culture states that it is customary for the women to take care of the house and the children. And that the man must make the money, protect the family, and teach the children Islam. It is both the parents and the whole village’s job to discipline the children. The most common form of discipline is a swift hit on the hand with a stick or wooden spoon. The elders must talk to the children, tell them stories and give them advice. This aspect of Somalian culture is based on the Qur’an where Allah says, 'The mothers shall give suck to their offspring for two whole years. But he (the father) shall bear the cost of their food and clothing.’ In Somalian culture arranged marriages are frowned upon. You are allowed to marry whoever you want to, but it is preferable they marry young, around the age of 18. But before a man asks for a woman’s hand in marriage, he must ask the father, of that woman, for permission. If the father agrees, he will then call in his daughter and asks her if she wants to marry the man. If she says yes, the man must, on the spot, give her a ring and a dowry. The wedding consists of two parts; the official ceremony in which wedding vows are exchanged, and the party. After the marriage the couple is given the choice of going on a Honeymoon or starting their new life, in their new home, immediately. One custom that is difficult for newly-weds to follow is not showing affection to each other in public, even during their wedding ceremony. It is something that is religiously forbidden. Once married it is customary for the wife and husband to stay married, however divorce is an option. If a husband and a wife want to go through a divorce the must follow the guidelines listed in the Qur’an. ‘Divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for three monthly periods. And it is not lawful for them to hide what Allah hath created in their wombs…it is not lawful for men to take back any of their gifts for their wives.’ That means a divorce is not permissible if the women is pregnant. And the man may not take back the dowry he gave her. If a woman becomes widowed, she must wait four months before she remarries. The first month is two mourn and the other three are to see if she is pregnant. If she is, she cannot remarry until after he baby is born.



‘Clothing makes the man.’
          The rich women wore heavily embroidered diras (loose flowing dress) and sometimes Italian clothing. The poor women wore hand-sewn loss fitting dresses. Both rich and poor men wore loose-fitting trousers, shirt and sandals. The only difference between them was the price, style and material. On special occasions women did not change their style of dress, but rather wore the best and as much gold as their bodies can handle. Women were given a certain leniency as to the style and length of their clothes, just as long as the skirts didn’t get too short.


‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. –Anonymous
          Somali people usually begin their day with a flat bread called Anjeero, liver soup, toast, cereal or porridge made or cornmeal. Somali’s usually pour hot tea and honey on their angeero. For lunch Somali’s usually eat pasta with meat or rice with meat. Somali’s eat all types of meat, except pork which is forbidden, but there most favorite types of meat are camel, cow and goat. For dinner they eat nothing or a light meal of beans with mufo (patty). The most plentiful and most important meal of the day is lunch. That is the time when all the family and their guests gather together and eat a lot of meat and pasta/rice. The best forks and knives are brought out and the best dishes. On special days samboosa is eaten, which is a flat bread wrapped around meat and onion, and bour, which is very oily bread. For fruit Somali’s eat mango, papaya and watermelon.





‘A mans religion is a man’s life.’ –Mark Twain
          Islam is vitally important to the Somali sense of national identity. It shapes how they think, what they wear and what they do. 99.9% of Somali’s are Sunni Muslim. They practice a form of Islam that includes the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The word Islam means ‘way of life.’ It is a religion that requires you living your life according to the word of Allah. The word of Allah (AKA the Qur’an) was given to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. According to the friends of the Prophet, peace be upon him, he was given the Holy Book in the Cave of Ishmael. The Angel Jibraeil (AKA Angel Gabriel) came down to him and gave him the Qur’an. “Read,” the Angel said. “I do not know how,” said he (peace be upon him) “Read,” she commanded pointing to the Qur’an. And so he did. According to the Qur’an, we are all made of one mold of clay. That Allah made us and we will, undoubtedly, return to Him, to face our just rewards. ‘Behold! Thy Lord said to the angels: I am about to create man, from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape. When I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, the believers will fall down in obedience to Me. In Somalia, celebrations come in the form of religious festivities, two of the most important being Eid al Adha and Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month. Somalians also pray five times a day, as it was ordained in the Qur’an.




‘Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me. Please shine down on me.’ –Children’s song
          Somalia’s climate is hot and dry. It is mostly a barren desert. Near where the ocean is, Somali has mango trees, watermelons and bananas growing. Because of this most Somali’s eat those types of fruit and grain products. They also eat camel and goat which are basically the only edible animals that can survive in the desert. Because Somalia is so hot most clothing is made up of light, almost transparent material. Sandals were very common. The houses of the poor were made out of rough clay with many windows. To beat the heat the rich bought houses with spacious rooms and air-conditioning, preferably located near the ocean.





‘Art is a celebration of life.’
          Somali’s are generally a nomadic people so their art was movable and usable. They would draw pictures on jugs and make artistic quilts. They would also sew a jug that is meant to hold milk; they would do this by only weaving in one huge desert scene. Somali’s were also excellent craftsmen, they would cut down trees and branches and whittle out toys for their children. The rich would use colorful paints to depict scenes in the Qur’an. Dance was important to young Somali’s as a form of courtship. But Somalia is most well-known for its poetry. Unfortunately, poetry was only a past-time for the wealthy.

"Come to the edge," he said.
They said, "We are afraid."
"Come to the edge," he said.
They came, he pushed them...
And they flew. -Anonymous

          In conclusion, Somali culture was created by our for-fathers. They began a life their, went to the edge. And they discovered religion and with a little nudge from Allah they became their own people with their own unique society. Somalis believe strongly in independence, democracy, egalitarianism, and individualism. Saving face is very important to them, so indirectness and humor are often used in conversation. Somalis deeply value the family with the strength of family ties providing a safety net in times of need. All these little things mixed in with their belief, sense of style climate food and games define who Somalians are and what their country is. Even though the country is now torn apart by war, you can still catch glimpses of the culture that is Somalia.




‘If people come together, they can even mend a crack in the sky’
Somali proverb.