Somali Culture
A long, narrow country, Somalia is the easternmost country of Africa that wraps around the Horn of Africa. In contrast to many other African countries, Somalia comprises a single, homogeneous ethnic group. The people of Somalia, though they vary in the intricacies of their lifestyle, are brought together under the banner of their uniform language, religion, heritage, and culture.
A Brief History
Somalia is a prehistoric civilization believed to have been inhabited since the paleolithic age, with archaeological evidence of burial customs from Somalian cemeteries dating back to the 4th millennium BC. Though the origin of the people of Somali remains undetermined, it is now believed that the ancestral homeland of the Somalis was in the highlands of southern Ethiopia, specifically in the lake regions.
The Horn of Africa remained under Egyptian reign for centuries. Islam was introduced to Africa in the 7th century AD, and most Somali had converted to Islam by the 1100s. The region enjoyed great wealth and prosperity in the medieval ages with Mogadishu (the present-day capital of Somalia) becoming the epicenter of trade routes on the East Coast of Africa by the 13th century.
Colonial rule began in the 1800s, thereby dividing the land into several territories. British and Italian Somaliland obtained independence in 1960 to form Somalia’s current borders. The Ogaden, however, was designated as a part of Ethiopia by the U.N and has since been a source of conflict between the Ethiopian and Somali governments. Post-independence, Somalia has had a tumultuous political journey with an outright civil war erupting in the late 80s.
Religion
The religious majority in Somalia is Islam. As a belief system that goes beyond the religion in itself, Islam has a heavy influence on the lifestyle of the people. It is an integral part of the culture, law, governmental structure and is, in essence, a way of life for the Somali people. As a natural consequence, people’s attitudes and ideas about etiquette, social norms, gender roles, etc. have their roots in Islamic tradition.
Language
As the only ethnic group in Africa that speaks one common language, the official language of Somalia in Somali. Belonging to the Afroasiatic family of languages, it is an Eastern Cushitic dialect with several variants that differ based on location. Given the majority Muslim population, Arabic is considered a common second language, and as education up until the 70s was conducted in colonial languages, most older Somalis from the north are fluent in English, and those from southern Somalia are well-acquainted with Italian.
The People
The Somali race differs from all other African races in feature, language, and customs. They are inherently a pastoral or nomadic race possessing large herds of cattle and sheep. The camel is an important means of transportation for the nomads and is also widely accepted as a symbol of milk, meat, income, and status to most Somalis. Farmers in the south grow corn, beans, millet, etc.
In terms of food, meat, boiled millet, rice, etc. are staples. And a remnant of the Italian occupation is a certain fondness for pasta and marinara sauce in the south. Important holidays include religious ones like Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Moulid, as well as secular ones like Memorial Day, Labour Day, Independence Day.
Greetings, Goodbyes and General Etiquette
Once again, one sees the influence of Islam, as many social niceties are rooted in its tradition. For instance, a common form of greeting is to say ‘Salam aleykum.’ A common parting phrase is ‘nabad gelyo,’ which means goodbye. Men and women also maintain distance and do not touch each other. Clothing is also influenced by Islam, where women tend to dress more conservatively wearing burkas and veils.
Family and Social Structure
A family is a fundamental unit of Somali society, and living in extended families is the norm. An essential part of the culture is paying respect to the elders in the family as well as in society. As per the Islamic tradition, men may have up to four wives. In homes with more than one wife, the man usually provides separate houses for each wife and her children. He then divides his time among them. In most families, gender roles are also quite defined. Though women in the cities may have jobs, in most families, the man works while the woman looks after the home and children.
