Today, I will be talking about the special country I lived in, call Singapore! It will be bad if I did not talk about my homeplace!
Anyways, Singapore is a multi-racial country, therefore our culture is really unique as we have four major Ethnic groups: Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians. The multi-racial society is harmonious and racial groups respect one another.
Singapore is much modernized and adapts the life style that of the rest but at the same time, value the traditions being passed down from generations ago.
There had been recorded history hundreds of years ago when it was a quiet fishing village visited by merchants from China and the South-Eastern Asia. The influx of immigrants from various regions since the 16th century populated the island.
Chinese
- The Chinese in Singapore are mostly the descendants of hard laborers of China immigrants from Fujian and Canton provinces in search of better lives. These people were hard working and adapted fast in their new environment and many of them picked up Malay and even Indian Tamil language.
- Although they adopt the local culture and customs, they pass on Chinese traditions which are still observed even today.
- You can get to see Singapore culture of Chinese community at Chinese Heritage Chinatown. In recent years, there is a surge of China nationals working in Singapore.
Malays
The Malays are harmonious people who used to live in kampong (traditional Malays villages) and they are the natives in the region.
They adopt Islamic traditions and customs. They value strong family ties and it is usually demonstrated during Malay weddings and funerals when the extended family come together and provide their help and support to the hosting family.
Geylang Serai houses Malay Village, the best time to come will be during the time of Ramadan.
Indians
- The Indians made up of about 6% of Singapore population. Their colorful culture and wonderful cuisine impress many.
- There are numerous festive events and special prayers held in the Hindu temples all year round.
- Little India along Serangoon Road is the best place to see the Indian culture.
Eurasians
- Eurasians are the descents of intermarriage between Europeans and Asians.
- They are of a relatively smaller community but their contributions to the community are not any lesser than the major ethnic group.
Peranakans
- Peranakas are known as the Straits Chinese. Females are called "Nonyas" and the Males are known as "Babas".
- They are the descendants of Chinese fathers and Batak Women when cross-marriage was common in the 18the century. They have a unique culture which is a fusion of Chinese, Malayan and Europeans.
- One of their most prominent culture is the Peranakan Sarong Kebayas, for example, SIA girls' uniforms.
Ways of Singapore Culture
- There are not many places in the world where you can see people of different ethnic group participate cross-cultural activities almost everyday of their lives.
- One of the best ways to see this is to visit local hawker centres, where groups of working colleagues or students have their breakfast or lunch together.
- A common sight will be seeing a Chinese ordering Malay Mee Siam, an Indian eating Chinese Prawn Noodles and a Malay ordering from an Indian Muslim food stall.
- Another unique Singapore culture is in our spoken language. English is our official language and we speak proper English with visitors.
- You may notice the locals speak a blend of English with a mixture of local languages. We call it "Singlish".
Further information: German architecture Architectural contributions from Germany include the Carolingian and Ottonian styles, important precursors of Romanesque. The region then produced significant works in styles such as the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. The nation was particularly important in the early modern movement through the Deutscher Werkbund and the Bauhaus movement identified with Walter Gropius. The Nazis closed these movements and favoured a type of neo-classicism. Since World War II, further important modern and post-modern structures have been built, particularly since the reunification of Berlin.
Religious tradition Main article: Religion in Germany
Picture of Benedikt XVI. Portrait of Martin LutherThe German government has limited responsibilities for culture, which is devolved to the states of Germany, called Länder.
64.1 percent of the German population belongs to Christian denominations. 31.4 percent are Roman Catholic, and 32.7 percent are affiliated with Protestantism. The North and East is predominantly Protestant, the South and West rather Catholic. Nowadays there is a non-religious majority in Hamburg and the East German states. Germany formed a substantial part of the Roman Catholic Holy Roman Empire, but was also the source of Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther. Historically, Germany had a substantial Jewish population. Only a few thousand people of Jewish origin remained in Germany after the Holocaust, but the German Jewish community now has approximately 100,000 members, many from the former Soviet Union. Germany also has a substantial Muslim minority, most of whom are from Turkey.
German theologians include Luther, Melanchthon, Schleiermacher, Feuerbach, and Rudolf Otto. Also Germany brought up many mystics including Meister Eckhart, Rudolf Steiner, Jakob Boehme, and some popes (e.g. Benedict XVI).
Academic landmarks
The Semperoper Saxon State Opera HouseGermany is home to some of the finest academic centers in Europe. Some famous Universities include those of both Munich and Berlin, University of Tübingen, University of Göttingen, University of Marburg, University of Berlin, Heidelberg University, Mining Academy Freiberg and Freiburg University, among many others.
Since about 1970, Germany has once again had a thriving popular culture, now increasingly being led by its new-old capital Berlin and the city of Hamburg, and a self-confident music and art scene. Germany is also very well known for its many renowned opera houses, such as Semperoper, Komische Oper Berlin and Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz. Richard Wagner has built the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.
Cuisine Main article: German cuisine
Berliners are a typical German pastryGerman cuisine varies from region to region, but concentrates on meat and varieties of sweet desserts and cakes (such as Black Forest gateau Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte) and Stollen (a fruit cake). Germans also are famous for rye bread. Germany also produces a large quantity of beer, and (mostly white) wine, particularly Riesling, but also Müller-Thurgau and other varieties. German cuisine is very similar to English and American cuisine and also to the cooking styles of its immediate neighbors (The Netherlands, France, Austria, Poland). Although sausage is the most famous food product from Germany, one could not gain much understanding of German cuisine by reducing it to sausage. In Germany it is mostly consumed as a snack (Bratwurst), at barbecues and it also appears in a few dishes. A stereotypical German dish contains a type of meat (typically pork, beef or poultry), a type of potatoes (mashed, fried, as dumplings or boiled) and a type of vegetable (typically peas, carrots or cabbage) and sauce. The "home cuisine" differs very much from the "restaurant cuisine". More traditional dishes can be found in restaurants. Cuisine differs also greatly according to regions (in the north people eat fish, in the Rhine region beer is replaced with wine, in Bavaria roasted pork is consumed) and season (in spring people eat white asparagus with ham and sauce hollandaise, in fall people eat green cabbage with a special kind of sausage and mustard and in winter/for Christmas people eat duck or goose with red cabbage, dumplings and brown gravy).
Sport Main article: Sport in Germany
Opened in 2005: the Allianz Arena, one of the world's most modern football stadiums.Sport forms an integral part of German life, as demonstrated by the fact that 27 million Germans are members of a sports club and an additional twelve million pursue such an activity individually. Football is by far the most popular sport, and the German Football Federation (Deutscher Fußballbund) with more than 6.3 million members is the largest athletic organisation in the country. It also attracts the greatest audience, with hundreds of thousands of spectators attending Bundesliga matches and millions more watching on television. The other two most popular sports in Germany are marksmanship and tennis represented by the German Marksmen’s Federation and the German Tennis Federation respectively, both including more than a million members. Other popular sports include handball, volleyball, basketball, and ice hockey. Germany has historically been one of the strongest contenders in the Olympic Games. In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Germany finished fifth overall, whereas in the 2006 Winter Olympics Germany finished first.
Main article: List of museums in Paris Paris' museums and monuments are among its highest-esteemed attractions; tourism has motivated both the city and national governments to create new ones. The city's most prized museum, the Louvre, welcomes over 8 million visitors a year, being by far the world's most-visited art museum. The Louvre is one of the largest and most famous museums, housing many works of art, including the Mona Lisa (La Joconde) and the Venus de Milo statue. Works by Pablo Picasso and Auguste Rodin are found in Musée Picasso and Musée Rodin, respectively, while the artistic community of Montparnasse is chronicled at the Musée du Montparnasse. Starkly apparent with its service-pipe exterior, the Centre Georges Pompidou, also known as Beaubourg, houses the Musée National d'Art Moderne. Art and artifacts from the Middle Ages and Impressionist eras are kept in Musée Cluny and Musée d'Orsay, respectively, the former with the prized tapestry cycle The Lady and the Unicorn. Paris' newest (and third-largest) museum, the Musée du quai Branly, opened its doors in June 2006 and houses art from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.
Opera and theatres
The Opéra Garnier.Paris' largest opera houses are the nineteenth-century Opéra Garnier (historical Paris Opéra) and modern Opéra Bastille; the former tends towards the more classic ballets and operas, and the latter provides a mixed repertoire of classic and modern. In middle of 19th century, there were active two other competing opera houses: Opéra-Comique (which still exists to this day) and Théâtre Lyrique (which in modern times changed its profile and name to Théâtre de la Ville).
Theatre traditionally has occupied a large place in Parisian culture. This still holds true today; and many of its most popular actors today are also stars of French television. Some of Paris' major theatres include Bobino, Théâtre Mogador, and the Théâtre de la Gaîté-Montparnasse. Some Parisian theatres have also doubled as concert halls. Many of France's greatest musical legends, such as Édith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Georges Brassens, and Charles Aznavour, found their fame in Parisian concert halls: Legendary yet still-showing examples of these are Le Lido, Bobino, l'Olympia, la Cigale, and le Splendid.
The Élysées-Montmartre, much reduced from its original size, is a concert hall today. The New Morning is one of few Parisian clubs still holding jazz concerts, but the same also specialises in 'indie' music. In more recent times, the Le Zénith hall in Paris' La Villette quarter and a "parc-omnisports" stadium in Bercy serve as large-scale rock concert halls.
Movies
Le Grand RexSee also: List of films set in Paris Parisians tend to share the same movie-going trends as many of the world's global cities, that is to say with a dominance of Hollywood-generated film entertainment. French cinema comes a close second, with major directors (réalisateurs) such as Claude Lelouch, François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, and Luc Besson, and the more slapstick/popular genre with director Claude Zidi as an example. European and Asian films are also widely shown and appreciated. A specialty of Paris is its very large network of small movie theatres: on a given week, the movie fan has the choice between around 300 old or new movies from all over the world.
Many of Paris' concert/dance halls were transformed into movie theatres when the media became popular from the 1930s. Later, most of the largest cinemas were divided into multiple, smaller rooms: Paris' largest cinema today is by far le Grand Rex theatre with 2,750 seats,[1] whereas other cinemas all have fewer than 1,000 seats. There is now a trend toward modern multiplexes that contain more than 10 or 20 screens.
Cuisine
The Les Deux Magots cafe.Paris' culinary reputation has its base in the diverse origins of its inhabitants. In its beginnings, it owed much to the 19th-century organisation of a railway system that had Paris as a centre, making the capital a focal point for immigration from France's many different regions and gastronomical cultures. This reputation continues through today in a cultural diversity that has since spread to an worldwide level thanks to Paris' continued reputation for culinary finesse and further immigration from increasingly distant climes. Hotels were another result of widespread travel and tourism, especially Paris' late-19th-century Expositions Universelles (World's Fairs). Of the most luxurious of these, the Hôtel Ritz, appeared in the Place Vendôme from 1898, and the Hôtel de Crillon opened its doors on the north side of the place de la Concorde from 1909.
Dragon dance is also a part of Chinese culture. During the celebrations, there will have dragon dance. It is nice. It shows the traditional way the people looks. The following video shows one of the Dragon Dance.
Canadian culture is a term that explains the artistic, musical, literary, culinary, political and social elements that are representative of Canada, not only to its own population, but people all over the world. Canada's culture has historically been influenced by European culture and traditions, especially British and French. Over time, elements of the cultures of Canada's Aboriginal peoples and immigrant populations have become incorporated into mainstream Canadian culture. It has also been strongly influenced by that of its linguistic, economic, and cultural neighbour, the United States.
Canada's federal government has influenced Canadian culture with programs, laws and institutions. It has created crown corporations to promote Canadian culture through media, such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), and promotes many events which it considers to promote Canadian traditions. It has also tried to protect Canadian culture by setting legal minimums on Canadian content in many media using bodies like the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).[1]
Canada's culture, like that of most any country in the world, is a product of its history, geography, and political system. Being a settler nation, Canada has been shaped by waves of migration that have combined to form a unique blend of customs, cuisine, and traditions that have marked the socio-cultural development of the nation. In this article, several aspects of Canadian culture will be discussed. Though this article attempts to feature a variety of subjects pertinent to the culture of Canada, it is in no way exhaustive, and to gain a much deeper knowledge of Canada and its culture, one must also consult the other articles pertaining to Canada and its peoples.
Today I going to talk about the Culture of Japanese music!
Music in Japan is an integral part of their culture as it have been important in the Japanese culture from ancient times.
The traditional music of Japan can be divided into two parts art or classical and folk music. Though both vocal and instrumental music are prevalent in Japanese culture the popularity of vocal music has an edge over the instrumental. ‘Gagaku' a form of Japanese music was customary in the royal courts in ancient times. This form of music was influenced by the other north Asian countries. In the medieval era, form of musical drama call "Noh" became very popular. Koto, Shamisen and Shakuhachi are the three forms of music which made its appearance in the later medieval period in Japan. Koto also known as Sokyoto was taught to the high class girls as part of their upbringing.
The folk songs in Japan like other parts of the world are concerned with the everyday life and pain of the common mass. Most of the folk songs of the ‘land of the rising sun' are from the Edo age. Both the metric rhythm and free rhythm are common in the folk music of Japan.
From the 20th century with the development of communication music from all over the world has gradually gained popularity. Canzone from Italy, American jazz, and Latino music have made their place in the heart of the Japanese people. Japan's very own ‘Kayo-kyoku' is most adored by the people. Japanese rock music from the 1960's had become very popular and J-Pop followed up being viral during 1970's. Notable J-Pop artists include Ayumi Hamasaki and Southern All Stars.
Of late many experiments are done with the traditional Japanese classical music and the instruments. Japanese composers are even using western classics for giving Japanese music a new form.
Great Mosque Samarra Iraq had the world's oldest cultural histories. Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations influenced and shaped on it in its ancient world. Iraq was well-known for its poets, painters and sculptors, which were the most famous factors among the Arab World, and some of their distinct things were even marked as world-class. Since Iraq has a wide and variety of heritage, this country is like a home to Muslims, Christians, Jews, Assyrians and some countries around it.The mosque from the left is afamous mosque called Samarra located in Iraqi city of Samarra. This mosque is completed in 851 the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil who reigned (in Samarra) from 847 until 861. This temple was a largest mosque in the world at one time.The art andarchitecture of the mosquewas influential, especially the carving within the mosque in floral and geometric designs revealthe earlyIslamic decorations.In addition, the mosque of Ibn Tulunin Cairo, Egypt was based on the Samarra mosque in manyregards.But in April 1, 2005, its top region was damagedby the bomb.
The Palong call themselves "Ta Ang". They belong to Mon_Khmer branch of the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family. At present the total population of the Palong is about 250,000. There are very few Palong villages in Thailand, all of them are came from Burma.
In,general, the Palong can be found in Burma, in the mountainous north-western corner of the Shan State, in the southern part of the Kachin State, and a few - perhaps 20, 000 - in the ,est of China's Yunnan province. About thousand Palong people are to be found in Thailand, all of them in the northern part of Chiang Mai province along the border to Myanmar (Burma).
The Palong are subdivided the Gold (Shwe) and Silverer (Pale) Palong, a distinction based on slight differences their costumes.Their main livelihood is the cultivation of tanatep, a large leaf to wrap burmese cigars, and Tea. Besides tea, the they also grow rice, beans, yams, sugar cane, hemp, chillis and other crops. Both men and women decorate their teeth with gold. They [men and women] smoke tobacco and chew betel nuts.
Courtship takes place especially during the tea harvest. Marriages are often conducted several together, followed by a three-day party.Their houses are thatched wooden constructions, raised on stilts.
The Palong are easily recognized by the striking custom of their women, red sarong like garments, mostly a blue jacket with red collar and broad silver waistbands. Formerly animist, most Palong have converted to Buddhism. They practice a Shan-type Buddhism mixed with animism, which includes ancestor worship and the celebration of the spirit festival in September.
Palongs' Music and Village :) :) :)
APA Citation. http://www.angelfire.com/nm/nagalim/edu_cul.htm
As an abstract art for more than 3000 years, Chinese calligraphy is not just writing Chinese characters, neither just writing well. It is an art to express spirits. A calligraphy work carries the calligrapher's personality, mood, idea, thoughts and soul.
Chinese calligraphy art has been popular in China for thousands of years. It is also popular in the neighborhood countries such as Korea and Japan.
Chinese calligraphy is wonderful for decoration. In China, calligraphy is considered an advanced decoration. It also serves as great presents.
or The Khmer Empire was the most powerful kingdom in Southeast Asia, which in now Cambodia, flourishing from 9th to 13th Century. This empire had ruled the modern day countries such as Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malay and Vietnam, and this grew out of the former kingdom of Chenla. At the beginning of the empire, the religions were Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism, till Theravada Buddhism, introduced from Sri Lanka, prevailed. The Angkor Wat temple was built for the King Suryavarman during 12th Century. Even though this temple is a Buddhist temple, it's different from the temples nowadays. This is because the Angkor Wat temple was inspired by the 12th Century Hinduism. So, this temple was firstly revered by the Hinduism, then dedicated to the god Vishnu, and finally to Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.
The culture of Brunei is very similar to the Malay cultures. Heavily influenced by life Hinduism and, more obviously, Islam; the borrowings and derivations of Brunei culture from these two religions are due mainly to the country's historical links with the Hindu empire in the neighbouring regions of modern-day Indonesia and Malaysia.
The culture is also influenced by the demographic makeup of the country: two-thirds of the population are Malay, and the remainder consists of Chinese, Indians and indigenous Malays such as Dayaks, Dusuns and Kedazans.
As a Sharia country, the sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned.[1] Foreigners and non-Muslims are allowed to bring in 12 cans of beer and two bottles of other alcohol (e.g., wine or spirits, there being no distinction made for alcohol content). This limit used to apply to every entry; in 2007, however, this was changed to one limit every 48 hours. After the introduction of prohibition in the early 1990s, all pubs and nightclubs were forced to close.
The Nagaland is a state of India which is located in north-eastern part. It is also a part of Burmar. The people in those areas were called Naka in Burmese Language at very first which means "People with pierced ears". The culture of Naga is simple, they only have 3 main interests. They are their families, clans and villages. The Naga are very attached to his land, to the system of the land and they love their villages.
To kill a man of a woman of the other villages is not a big crime, even if the villages are bounded with friendship. If there are no such bound, it is considered as a meritorious act. On the other hand, to kill the fellow villager is the greatest crime and the punishment is death or exile. Each village is inhabited by two or more clans. Each clan has its own area. In those areas, there are one or more bachelors' halls where the unmarried men sleep and men of all ages congregate and gossip.
Usually, the older men guide the destinies of the village in informal council. For Naga, war is normal but peace is abnormal. Almost all men in the village of respective clans are warriors.
The literature, arts and music of Naga consist of folk tales, dances and music. Every Naga must participate in the celebration of life. Folk literature and songs are sung by all. Naga society is characterized by equality. Apart from respect for age, one sees no discrimination between rich and poor, male and female, in Naga society. Naga believe in a great number of spirits of Nature, of river, of hills and forest, ghosts and other unseen spirits who affect human life at every point.
APA Citation. http://www.angelfire.com/nm/nagalim/edu_cul.htm
Hawaii, which became the latest state of USA in August 21, 1959, is a group of 19 islands and is 2300 miles away from mainland. Though the islands have been a part of the USA since 1898 they constituted a territory rather than a state.
Nowadays, Hawaii is famous for its beautiful culture and scenery. Among its culture, I want to describe about their Hula dance, which is developed by the Native Hawaiians or indigenous Polynesian. Hula dancing is a complex art form, as they want to signify the aspects of nature such as the Basic Hula and Coconut Tree motions or basic leg steps. So, Hula dance is unlike any other dance, and this culture becomes the major tourist for Hawaiians.
Another interesting about them is their ancient Tiki Gods. In their myth, because of the powerful spew from the volcanoes, their land had filled with amazing thing and their history with Tiki Gods. Ancient oracle of Hawaii perched on volcanic cliffs and carved the wooden Tikis peering through the rain-forest. These Tiki Gods temple were located in the Hawaiian Tiki villages and islands. They were worshiped through human sacrifice and chants(for health, weather and love) prayers and lava sledding. That's why, ancient Hawaiian world was a myth land being frightened from Tiki masked warriors.
The culture of Portugal is a result of complex flow of different civilisations during past millenia. From prehistoric cultures,to its Pre-Roman civilisations (like Lusitanians, Gallaeci, Celtici and Cynetes) passing through its contacts withe th Phoneician and Carthagninian world ,the Roman period consequent settlement of the Suevi and Buri and the visigoth finnally the Moorish Umaymayyad invasion of the Hispania and the subsequent Reconquista, all made an impact on the country's culture. The name Portugal itself reveals most of the country's early history, stemming from the Roman name Portus Cale, a Latin name meaning Port of Cale, later transformed into Portucale before finnally becoming Portugal, who emerged as a county of the Kingdom of León and became independent in 1139. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was a major economic, political and cultural power, its global empire stretching from Brazil to the Indies.
Note: due to some errors..i cant upload the vid..will fix it asap.
Thejiazi 饺子is a common Chinesedumpling which generally consists of minced meat and finely chopped vegetables wrapped into a thin and elastic piece of dough skin. Popular meat fillings include ground pork, ground beef, ground chicken, shrimp, and even fish. Popular mixtures include pork with Chinese cabbage, pork with garlic chives, pork and shrimp with veggies, pork with spring onion, and garlic chives with scrambled eggs. Filling mixtures vary depending on personal tastes and region. Jiaozi are usually boiledor steamed. Jiaozi is a traditional dish eaten on Chinese New Year's Eve, the 5th day of Chinese New Year, and special family reunions. Extended family members gather together to make dumplings. It is also eaten for farewell to family members or friends. In North China, dumplings are eaten with a dipping sauce made of vinegar and chili oil or paste, and occasionally with some soy sauce added in.
"Eskimo" is an American Indian word which translates to"eaters of raw meat."There are two main types of Eskimo : Yupik and Inuit. The Yupik language dialects and cultures in Alaska and eastern Siberia have evolved in place beginning with the original (pre-Dorset) Eskimo culture that developed in Alaska. The earliest known Eskimo cultures were Pre-Dorset Technology, which appear to have been a fully developed Eskimo culture that dates to 5,000 years ago.Eskimos lived in some of the world's coldest areas near the Arctic Circle. The weather is so cold that they wear animal skinned provided clothes, especially caribou because of its warm and lightweight quality.
One of the amazing things for Eskimos is a Dog Sledge, which technique had been used since 10th Century. As they live on snow or ice, a wheel-less vehicle, i.e. a dog sledge pulled by dogs is like themain transportation. Racing sled dogs will travel up to an average 20 mph (32 km/h) over distances up to 25 miles (40 km). But, to be able to use those dogs as sled dogs, they also need to be trained. Since dog sledges are very useful for those people, sled-dog-teams are also put in a great care. But, nowadays, sled dogs can also be found in cold countries like Germany and Japan.
This blog aims to let readers know more about many unique cultures in this world. Also, it serves as a platform to broaden your knowledge and have a better understanding on different cultures and the world
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