What is Somali culture really?

[JustSomeGuy]

Do you not get bored of this nonsense? Its because of people like you (thankfully a small minority) that both Cadaan and J word alike calls us 'wannabe Arab''.

 

[Himmler]

It is an extension of south Yemeni culture for the most part. From our clothes, to our customs, to our foods, to our religious creed, and even our mannerisms. Especially in the North (SL, PL)

Have you ever been to the North and have you actually been to Yemen to see what Yemeni culture looks like? If you have then you’d know North Somali culture is no way near being an extension of South Yemeni culture, influence is of course undeniable but not to this degree

Habesha culture is completely south Arabian Semitic.

This is also completely false you don’t know anything about Habesha culture so idk why your speaking on it

 

[Khaem]

Allah knows where it comes from, but you have no proof that it is native to Somalia. How are you going to claim that when your forefathers and mine were only herding cattle?

Speak for yourself

 

[Kisame]

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I wasn't exposed to any of our fine arts most of my life. My mom stopped listening to somali music before I became a teen and my dad just listened to whatever was on the radio.

Somali culture seems kind of weak ngl. We don't really have any unique festivals or holidays besides just somalia and somaliland independence days. Our childrearing practices aren't really unique either.

 

[Internet Nomad]

I wasn't exposed to any of our fine arts most of my life. My mom stopped listening to somali music before I became a teen and my dad just listened to whatever was on the radio.

Somali culture seems kind of weak ngl. We don't really have any unique festivals or holidays besides just somalia and somaliland independence days. Our childrearing practices aren't really unique either.

Somali culture is intricate however it needs to go through a revival period. People stopped practicing it.

There are child rearing practices that are unique I remember hearing how when the wife would have her child she would be tended to for atleast a week by the family.

This was different from other cultures which didn’t have this tradition of caring for the wife needs after the pregnancy.

I’m sure some of our Somali sisters or brothers could fill us in because I’m just paraphrasing of a old memory

 

[Kisame]

Somali culture is intricate however it needs to go through a revival period. People stopped practicing it.

There are child rearing practices that are unique I remember hearing how when the wife would have her child she would be tended to for atleast a week by the family.

This was different from other cultures which didn’t have this tradition of caring for the wife needs after the pregnancy.

I’m sure some of our Somali sisters or brothers could fill us in because I’m just paraphrasing of a old memory

Do you think this culture will seem a bit more appealing than western culture???

Main reason I'm asking is cause I grew up in an area with barely any somalis. Most of the somali families I grew up around were somewhat westernized.

I can't think of a cultural activity somali men participate in besides chewing khat and talking about somali news. I wouldn't even consider that exclusive to somalis.

Somali women seem to have a bit more fun with our culture cause they can dress up and have fun at weddings even if they are segregated.

I haven't met a somali american below the age of 30 that casually bumps somali music as well.

 

[Mhm]

As the title states what does the term "Somali culture" really mean? It is often wielded by nationalistic individuals to emphasize the uniqueness of their community. It is a multifaceted concept encapsulating various aspects. A term explained not coined by the British Quaker Tylor who said:



Examining Tylor's definition, it becomes evident that Islam dominates this term in "almost" all aspects. Our belief is Islam and so is our morals and our laws and customs such as how we marry and bury our dead. Daily activities almost always revolve around adhering to the Sunnah of the Prophet, adhering to Adl (Justice) and Ihsaan (Perfection).

First and foremost anything that is proven to be Haram is and should be removed from our daily live such as music as long as it does not contain instruments and promote evil. If we then examine each element defind by these westerners I find that we are not really unique.

In examining clothing, most of us men tend to wear Western clothing, as many of us live in Western countries, and even back home, people wear Western-style clothing to some extent. Additionally, some individuals may wear traditional garments like the thobe, which has Arabic influences, or the Macawiis, originating from the Far East in Asia.

When it comes to architecture, it is apparent that the buildings are predominantly designed in Western or Middle Eastern styles, and even our traditional huts lack uniqueness. Our cuisine is largely influenced by neighboring cultures and colonizers. Staples such as Rice, Baasto, Anjeero (Lahoh), Shah, and others have been borrowed from various regions and cultures.

Looking into this, and considering even more aspects, I have concluded that we are not fundamentally different from anyone else, except in two aspects: language and ethnicity. Therefore, when encountering a nationalistic sentiment in Somalia that expresses contempt for anything foreign and advocates for a strict adherence to culture, I find myself asking myself "What part?".

Number 1 our language for a culture is nothing without its language.
tradition and garments and all of the other hoo-rah is minuscule compared to our language.