Every culture has different customs and traditions that it follows to maintain ethnicity. It’s fascinating to see how different groups of people celebrate their culture with simple activities. Similarly, the Arab culture also has many interesting customs that make you wonder about the diversity of cultures. So let’s take a look at 5 fascinating customs present in the Arab culture.
Zakat/ Charity
Contrary to popular belief, not all Arabs are Muslims, and not all Muslims are Arabs. However, the Arab culture is predominated by Islam as about 90% of Arabs are followers of Islam. The third pillar of the Muslim faith is based on the promotion of charity. It is a religious obligation of donating wealth to the ones who need it. Zakat is practised by Arabs as a form of worshipping the Lord and strengthens their belief in helping others in times of need. Zakat is also known as almsgiving by many.
Dressing Customs
It is commonly known that Arabs are quite conservative about their dressing style. The form of clothing is different for men and women, wherein women are often seen wearing fully covered dresses called Abaya. Women are supposed to keep their hair covered as well with a hijab or niqab. These dressing customs are set to avoid unwanted male attention and apply to foreign women also.
For men, the commonly worn garment is a throbe a long, loose, fitted robe covering the body until the ankles. Men wearing sleeveless or shorts shows a lack of effort and casual behaviour. Even for corporate workers or businessmen, the standard clothing would be a long-sleeved shirt with a tie and regular fitted trousers.
Social Customs
In the Arab culture, it is considered rude to reject an offering. For example, if an Arab offers you refreshments, it’s polite to accept them but only with your right hand. Arabs use their right hand for most purposes as the left hand is used for self-cleaning and is regarded as unclean. So you should avoid shaking hands with an Arab with your left hand. Also, it is considered impolite to show the sole of your feet/shoes to someone. Keep your feet on the ground.
Hospitality
Arabs take pride in their hospitality and are known worldwide for it. Some common hospitality gestures that Arabs practice are-
- Paying respect to the eldest person in a room and greeting them first
- Standing when someone enters a room
- Offering tea and refreshments as pampering guests is considered a sacred act
- The first cup of tea from the pot is offered to the guests
- Not initiating a handshake with a woman is considered disrespectful
Gifting
Presenting gifts is a common activity in the Arab culture. Arabs are fond of gifting valuable items to their loved ones and also friends. They have a huge heart when it comes to gifting, and thus, it gets a bit difficult to impress an Arab with a gift. However, Arabs enjoy high-quality items, it could be a perfume or something thoughtful like personalised items. Keep in mind that you’re not gifting items related to appearance to an Arab woman. Your efforts could go in the opposite direction if you do so.
