The very essence of human civilization is the different cultures. We have come to acknowledge these cultures on a global level and the reverse in each nation’s core beliefs and traditions. Culture is not only an identity but an amalgamation of so many cultures across the globe. Its elements include art, cuisine, language, history, and many other tangible and non-tangible aspects. Studying culture in detail requires immense effort and time to understand the core values and fundamentals. In this article, we will lay out some of the similar cultures of the world that give the true essence of unity in diversity.
Different yet Similar Cultures of the World:
American:
America is known as the land of apple pie and baseball. In the United States, as we all know, there is more to the country than just baseball and apple pie. Let us have a brief look at the American Culture.
People of America:
The American society is a mixture of native Americans and a large number of immigrants from various countries like Ireland, Italy, Latin America, Poland, Germany, Africa, and Asia. While going through a phase of racial discrimination, the United States of America today has recognized four races in the country, which are- Native American, Asian, American African, and European American.
Art of America:
In the earlier years, American literature and art took most of its influences and ideas from European artists. During the late eighteenth century and the early nineteenth centuries, American paintings primarily included portraits and landscapes in a realistic style. The Industrial Revolution was primarily responsible for new influences thereon. American literature is also known for its inclusivity of development in popular literary genres such as hard-boiled crime fiction. When we talk about dance, the USA has its share of dance varieties like the trademark Lindy Hop and its derivative Rock and Roll.
American Festivals:
Additionally to the traditional festival of Christmas, some of the American festivals include- Good Friday and New Year celebrations; Americans also celebrate various other festivals such as Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Easter, Halloween, St.Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kipper.
African:
As we know, Africa is a vast country, and it consists of as many as 53 countries. However, they are quite similar, and these African countries have subtle differences in their cultures.
Religions in Africa:
There are primarily two religions that are practiced in Africa. However, most of the Africans follow either Christianity or Islam. Many adherents of Islam and Christianity also follow African traditional religions.
Art of Africa:
When we talk of African art, let me tell you folks that African art has certain themes that are repeated throughout all the art forms. This can be painting, pottery, handicrafts, or even fabric. Some of the subjects that are commonly portrayed are- couples, the depiction of a woman, a child, a male with a wild animal, or the portrayal of an outsider. These are the common African art portrayals.
As per the culture of Africa, the depiction of the couples represents ancestors or even community founders. There is also often a depiction of twins. However, the representation of the couple is rarely the kind to show sexual intimacy or love, and it represents honor and strength.
Songs in African culture are used as a mode of communication. Melodies in African music are organized within a scale of four, five, six, or seven tones. Common musical instruments used in African music are drums, slit gongs, double-bells, harps, rattle, musical shows, xylophones, flutes and trumpets. Drums are particularly popular, which explains the use of several different types of drums, such as Tama (talking drums), bougarabou, djembe, water drums, and Ngoma drums.
African Festivals:
In addition to the traditional Muslim festivals such as Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha, Ramadan, along with other universal festivals such as Christmas and New Year, and other festivals in Africa are quite popular. Many of the festivals in Africa are focused on farming as well as harvesting cycles. Not only this, but some of the popular festivals also include the Adae Kese festival, Festival of Opet, Homowo, Sed Festival, and the Osirian Festival and Kwanzaa.
Indian:
India is essentially famous for its spicy curries and healing techniques of Yoga. But there is much more that the Indian culture has to offer. Indian culture has its roots in the Indus Valley Civilization, from where it witnessed the Vedic Age. India has then witnessed the rise and decline of Buddhism, Muslim invasions as well as European colonization.
Art of India:
The art of India goes hand-in-hand with its cultural history, fundamental Indian philosophies, and religion. The rock carvings, Chola fresco paintings, and Madhubani paintings are some of the examples of ancient Indian art. Indian Music is also quite a prominent element of Indian culture, which traditionally includes the Carnatic and the Hindustani music.
Indian Festivals:
Festivals in India include a wide variety of celebrations. Diwali, Dusshera, Onam, Janmashtami, among others. The cultural richness of India is reflected in its variety of celebrations and festivals. The most special part is that Indian festivals are not celebrated in India but worldwide.
Japanese Culture:
Japanese culture is loaded with many elements such as costume, dance, attire, food, Japanese music along many other things that become imperative to know, inside out. Geisha, Samurai, and Kimono are only a few elements that have drawn everyone’s attention for decades. There are lots that need to be explored.
Chinese Culture:
The culture of Chinese people is widely known to be one of the four most ancient civilizations in the world. Hence, it has a diverse and vivid culture. Not only this, it also boosts a very elaborately written history, which holds some of the oldest facts about the importance and richness of Chinese culture. Many other facets are attached to the Chinese culture and civilization, such as their martial arts forms, food, medicine, etc.
Egyptian Culture:
The culture which is followed in Egypt is just beyond the Pharaohs. It is a complex mixture of many cultures of the world. This has resulted from the complex process of cultural diffusion and cultural assimilation. There is also a whole gamut of intricacies, which gives the culture of Egypt a mystic touch. This can only be cracked after a detailed study of their cultures.
Conclusion:
Cultures may differ, but there is an essence of similarity in each of the varied cultures across the globe. The similarity of the cultures in the different regions of the world is a message that unity lies in every human civilization, and the true sense of celebrating human life is through one diversified yet united culture. In this article, we have briefly discussed similar cultures of the world. That’s all, folks. I hope the article helped you in getting all the information you needed.
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