In the dictionary, culture is defined as the behaviours, beliefs, and characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. It is the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), formerly the Belgian Congo and then Zaire, is the largest country in the African continent. It is endowed with abundant valuable natural resources, including in addition to diamonds, cobalt, copper and petroleum. The DROC was a colony of Belgium from 1884 until 1960, when it was granted independence. Since that time, the DROC has not known true democracy, as it has been fueled with ethnic and civil strife, leading to political and economic instability. As a result of colonialism, at the time of independence the DROC was in a state of extreme underdevelopment, and aggravated by the continuing armed conflict taking place within and outside of its borders, these conditions exist today.
The culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reflects the diversity of its hundreds of ethnic groups and their differing ways of life throughout the country — from the mouth of the River Congo on the coast, upriver through the rainforest and savanna in its centre, to the more densely populated mountains in the far east. Since the late 19th century, traditional ways of life have undergone changes brought about by colonialism, the struggle for independence, the stagnation of the Mobutu era, and most recently, the First and Second Congo Wars. Despite these pressures, the customs and cultures of the Congo have retained much of their individuality. The country's 60 million inhabitants are mainly rural. The 30 percent who live in urban areas have been the most open to Western influences. Another notable feature in Congo culture is its sui generis music. The DROC has blended its ethnic musical sources with Cuban rumba, and merengue to give birth to soukous. Influential figures of soukous and its offshoots: N'dombolo and Rumba rock, are Franco Luambo, Tabu Ley, Lutumba Simaro, Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide, Kanda Bongo, Ray Lema, Mpongo Love, Abeti Masikini, Reddy Amisi, [Pasnas] Pepe Kalle and Nyoka Longo.[citation needed] Other African nations produce music genres that are derived from Congolese soukous. Some of the African bands sing in Lingala, one of the main languages in the DRC. The same Congolese soukous, under the guidance of "le sapeur", Papa Wemba, has set the tone for a generation of young men always dressed up in expensive designers' clothes', they became to be known as the 4th generation of the congolese music and they mostly come from the former well knwon band Wenge Musica, these are great singers as JB Mpiana.
Since the times of colonial era, Kinshasha has been a great centre for musical culture and innovation. This country was made out from such territories that were controlled by varied ethnic groups that had different interests.
During World War II, Congo was dominated by a fusion of African and Latin musical styles that originated from the small island of Cuba. The inhabitants of Congo adapted to the Rumba suited to their own tastes and musical instruments. The earliest musicians of Congo included the well known Feruzi, who is known to have popularized the Rumba in the 1930s. Many other genres also became popular during this period
Chinese culture and its heritage are so rich that people are actually study about the history and the mythology of China to enlighten them.
There are animals symoblize in Chinese culture, such as snake, ox and dragon. Snake can be considered as an art of seduction. In Chinese astrology, the snakes represents as those extremely jealous as well as a bit possessive. It is a sign that is higly secretive as well as private. The ox is one of the most hardworking and disciplined of the Chinese zodiac. They actually go ahead with life and lead them, it becomes a success. People who are of the Ox zodiac sign are a bit stubborn. The dragon creates a sign of quick temper and become a born leader. The people who have this sign will have a sense of self-entitlement. These people are able to make strong and a lasting impression on people's minds. Competitive spirit will be one of the main prominent factors presents in a dragon.
Also, in Chinese culture, the planet has a totaly of five planets: Mercury presents as water, Mars presents as fire, Jupiter presents as wood, Saturn presents as earth and Venus presents as metal.
Chinese people also believe in tarot cards. There have been fortune tellers and forecasters who predicted future. Such a concept in Chinese culture has been going on for quite sometimes. Therefore, there are various facets and angles to the Chinese culture.
According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2010 is the Year of a Golden Tiger, which begins on February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. The Tiger is the third sign in the cycle of Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 animal signs. It is a sign of courage.
The signs of Tiger are courageous, active, unpredictable. Quick tempered but considerate. According to the Chinese astrology, people who born in this year are generally well liked because of their charming personalities. Often, failing at a given task or being unproductive in his personal or professional life can cause a Tiger to experience a deep depression. Criticism from loved ones can also generate this type of Tiger reaction.
Parol is a traditional Filipino Christmas decoration, a five point star-shaped Christmas lantern.
Originally made of thin bamboo frames and covered with colored cellophane or with rice paper also known as Japanese paper or papel de Japon. It has two tails that serve as the rays of the star.
Parol reminds the Filipino Christians of the star of Bethlehem that guided the Three Wise Men on their way in search of Baby Jesus.
The present day parol come in different shapes and sizes it doesn't have to be star- shaped, it can be round, rectangular or even square, like a diorama with the Nativity on it.
They make parol as early as June, a lot of them are sold in the market from October. Parol vendors can be found everywhere, you will see them on the side walks, bus stops, jeepney stops or even along the highway.
Parol has become the most recognizable Christmas ornament for Filipinos not just in the Philippines, but in any country where there is a Filipino community. Parol are sold overseas, these are usually made from capiz or shells and are intricately designed, these last longs and can be used every year. There are also Parol that are sold online.
Indian dance too has diverse folk and classical forms. Among the well-known folk dances are the bhangra of the Punjab, the bihu of Assam, the chhau of Jharkhand and Orissa, the ghoomar of Rajasthan, the dandiya and garba of Gujarat, the Yakshagana of Karnataka and lavani of Maharashtra and Dekhnni of Goa. Eight dance forms, many with narrative forms and mythological elements, have been accorded classical dance status by India's National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama. These are: bharatanatyam of the state of Tamil Nadu, kathak of Uttar Pradesh, kathakali and mohiniattam of Kerala, kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, manipuri of Manipur, odissi of the state of Odisha and the sattriya of Assam..
Music
The music of India includes multiple varieties of religious, folk, popular, pop, and classical music. The oldest preserved examples of Indian music are the melodies of the Samaveda that are still sung in certain Vedic Ĺrauta sacrifices. India's classical music tradition is heavily influenced by Hindu texts. It includes two distinct styles: Carnatic and Hindustani music. Purandaradasa is considered the "father of carnatic music" (Karnataka sangeeta pitamaha).Indipop is one of the most popular contemporary styles of Indian music which is either a fusion of Indian folk, classical or Sufi music with Western musical traditions.
Family plays a significant role in the Indian culture. For generations, India has had a prevailing tradition of the joint family system. It is a system under which extended members of a family – parents, children, the children’s spouses and their offspring, etc. – live together. Usually, the eldest male member is the head in the joint Indian family system. He makes all important decisions and rules, and other family members abide by them.
Marriage
For centuries, arranged marriages have been the tradition in Indian society. Even today, the vast majority of Indians have their marriages planned by their parents and other respected family-members, with the consent of the bride and groom. They also demand dowry, which has been outlawed by the Indian government, but Indian society and culture still promotes and maintains it. Arranged matches are made after taking into account factors such as age, height, personal values and tastes, the backgrounds of their families (wealth, social standing), their castes and the astrological compatibility of the couples' horoscopes.
In India, the marriage is thought to be for life, and the divorce rate is extremely low. The arranged marriages generally have a much lower divorce rate. The divorce rates have risen significantly in recent years:
Festival
India, being a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, celebrates holidays and festivals of various religions. The three national holidays in India, the Independence Day, the Republic Day and the Gandhi Jayanti, are celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm across India. In addition, many states and regions have local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographics. Popular religious festivals include the Hindu festivals of Navratri, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga puja, Holi, Rakshabandhan and Dussehra. Several harvest festivals, such as Sankranthi, Pongal and Onam,"Nuakhai" are also fairly popular.
