Considering that Malawi culture can be complex — to follow (more so if you’ve not been bred here ) — I feel breaking down some two or three cultural aspects will get you well on your way to exploring (with me), and understanding the footpaths in this thicket of Malawi culture.
Let’s get on: here are things to remember to avoid confusion when understanding Malawi’s similar and diversified customs:
• So many ethnic groups live in Malawi — Lambya, Ngonde and Tumbuka in the Northern region, Ngoni in Northern and Central region, Chewa in central region, and Sena, Lomwe and Yao in the southern region. These are few examples of over 15 tribes that Malawi is their home.
• All native tribes above belong to the Bantu group of people
• They display shared similarities in traditions and customs
• They also display varied traditions and customs
Given the info above, you’ll note while it may appear difficult to specify what is Malawi culture, ethnic similarities in traditions and beliefs allow us to relatively, and safely say we have a culture we can call Malawian culture.
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| Nsima: One element that unites Malawian diverse tribes |
This is even easier today, as we see an increased blending of beliefs and customs among the Chewa, Tumbuka and other tribes; mainly due to urbanization and intermarriages — making all of these ethnic groups more similar (if not same) than ever before.
Like other nations, Malawi has several aspects of cultural traditions not limited to traditional beliefs, dances, food and language.
These influence — to a larger extent — various ways in which Malawians go about their daily life. Ignoring cultural elements only makes it hard for us to understand ourselves, and essentially why act in the manner we do.
Culture is everything; a key to unlocking why – for example, some people refuse to go to take hospital drugs, adopt modern farming methods, send their kids to learn, or still why other despise themselves.
Understanding culture is therefore critical to formulating better means of enforcing positive changes, as well as wiping out negative stereotypes in a society.
Let me hear from you in the comments below; what’s your thoughts on Malawi culture.
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