Monday, December 7, 2009

Cultural Entry #2

The Hookah is a type of water piped (whether single or multi piped) device that is used for smoking shisha (a type of tobacco). This device was originally started to be used in India and made a major appeal to the people of the Middle East. The major importance of Hookah in society for Arab peoples is that smoking is part of Middle Eastern cultures and traditions. Historically, Hookah has been around for a long time and is able to be traced all the way back to Turkey. In the Middle East, the Hookah and smoking 'shisha' is known as "nargile."Smoking Hookah is a social act that is used in intimate situations with a few people or used in as large of groups as whole parties or peoples. It has been studied and proven that in the world, the Arab peoples are the biggest Hookah users known in the world as of now.

http://www.fumari.com/hookah-history
http://www.royalhookahs.com/hookahhistory.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah
In most all Arabic countries throughout the World, women are required to have clothing styles that almost completely or completely cover them up. This cultural norm has been around throughout history in Arabic and Islamic countries. Some of the reasons for its use are for religious purposes but also simply cultural practices. The main reason women wear this is to prevent any indecent cravings or thoughts by men that are outside a woman's family (i.e. family = relatives, spouses, their children, etc.)
One of the types of clothing that is worn by Arabic women is called the "Abayah" which is a black garment that covers a woman's entire body from the neck to her feet. Another type of conservative clothing for Arabic women is the "Hejab" which covers a woman's hair but leaves her face exposed. Many differnt forms of clothing and jewelry can be worn underneath these types of clothes.
This cultural clothing style has existed for centuries and is a fascinating part of Arabic culture. The reason I chose this topic is for that exact reason, that a culture that has been around for centuries still has an active role in Arabic society today.

http://www.traderscity.com/abcg/cultur10.htm

http://www.islamfortoday.com/hijabcanada4.htm
مرحبا