Traditions & Rituals

Afghan people are quite unique in certain traditions and rituals they adhere to. Geographical location of the country has contributed in making it a perpetual battleground for centuries and this in turn has influenced its cultural traditions and rituals.

Afghans display strong loyalty to their respective clans and tribes. They are known to be hospitable and loyal people, and value personal honour and responsibility as the fundamentals of social structure. At the same time, their identification with Afghanistan as a nation is fragile.

Majority of Afghans follow the principles of Islam and are firm believers in the omnipresent God. They greet one another with the phrase Assalamu Alaikum (‘Peace be with you’) and the response to the greeting is Wa Alaikum Assalaam, which indicates unison in thought. A handshake is the most common form of greeting someone, but women and men never shake hands or make an eye contact in Afghan society. Another way of greeting is to place your hands over your heart and nod slightly. Unrestricted interaction between genders takes place only within the family and at professional environment interaction is limited according to the social norms.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/afghanistan-culture-traditions-and-customs.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/01186/culture1.html

http://www.hilalplaza.com/islamic-culture/Afghanistan/Afghanistan_Muslim_culture.html