What are the customs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Formerly known as Zaire **** and the country, in 1997 was renamed the current name. It is located in the southern part of Central Africa, with the equator running through its territory, and about one-third of its territory is located in the northern hemisphere, while the rest is located in the southern hemisphere.

The country covers an area of 2,344,885 square kilometers. The total population is more than 57.51 million. The capital is Kinshasa. The flag is sky blue with a red band diagonally, two yellow inserts next to the red band, and a large yellow five-pointed star in the upper left corner. This is the new flag that came into use on February 18, 2006, under the provisions of the new constitution of the DRC.

"Arise, Congolese" is the country's national anthem. The national flower is the hibiscus. Independence Day is June 30th. French is the official language. Each ethnic group has its own language, the main national languages being Lingala, Kikongo, Chiluba and Swahili.

1. Meeting etiquette

The DRC is a country that honors the elderly, and people address the elderly with the honorific title of elder on their names. In daily life, the elderly are greeted with a half-kneeling salute in accordance with traditional etiquette. In public **** occasions, men are generally called Mr., and women are called Mrs., Ms., Miss, etc.

Generally meet with a warm handshake, pleasantries for a while, the content of the greeting is very broad. Close friends. In addition to shaking hands, but also with the palm of the right hand gently patted each other's breasts a few times, and embrace and kiss.

The common people see the status of the people, always stand immediately, legs and feet together, the right hand fist, curved up over the shoulder, face serious, said loudly "Your Excellency's health" and so on.

The person being greeted would raise his fist and shake it in return. When local women see male guests, they kneel with their legs bent, look straight at the ground, and greet them softly. When women meet each other, they mostly shake hands and hug.

2. Catering etiquette

The staple foods of the DRC people include rice, corn, cassava and bananas. Sweet potatoes and potatoes are the staple food in the highland areas. The side dishes include beef and mutton, chicken, fish and vegetables.

Their stewed monkey meat, fried insects and so on are delicious dishes with great national characteristics. The DRC's coffee production is very high, and the amount of drinking is also large, the general family is popular with its hospitality. Beer and tea are also popular among the people. Except for the upper class, most of the people retain the custom of eating with their hands.

3. Dress Code

Most men here wear shirts and blouses with buttons. Women mostly prefer to wear dresses printed with patterns such as small flowers and big flowers in batik. This is because of government regulations: male government officials cannot wear suits, and women can only wear skirts, not pants.

The clothing of the Bakutu women who live in the tropical forest is characterized by the fact that they like to wear thick copper leg guards on their legs. The women here have a variety of hairstyles. When they were little girls, their mothers used to comb their hair into small circles and fasten them with strings.

4. Travel etiquette

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country with many ethnic groups. When traveling here, you should first learn about the local people, customs and topography, and hire a guide if necessary.

Special attention should be paid to the following: in places frequented by wild animals, in the forest near the zone or the countryside accommodation, be sure to close the door. There is no need to be afraid of people with arrows in their hands. The people here are hospitable and people will warmly show the way to lost travelers.

Extended information:

The Congolese people are optimistic, enthusiastic, truthful, and brash, and they love making friends. Daily social etiquette is to shake hands and kiss. In the Congo River Basin, people meet the most cordial etiquette is: both sides extend two hands, and then bow down, blow a few breaths. Conversations with people are often accompanied by hand or head movements to reinforce the meaning they are trying to convey.

Chatting does not involve personal details, such as personal feelings, religious beliefs, salary and income. Smoking is not allowed in non-smoking places; even in smoking places, if a lady is present, she should be consulted. It is uncivilized to smoke while walking on the street.

Marriage in the Congo? Customs is the city people get married, male suits, female wedding dresses drag the ground, love to make a big deal. In the countryside, wedding customs differ between the south and the north.

Southern tribes are mostly matrilineal centered, marriage, must obtain the consent of the female uncle, to give gifts to the uncle. Children born after marriage, the father does not have much obligation to support, the child is several years old, need to be sent to the uncle's family to raise, and become the closest offspring of the maternal uncle's family.

In the north, the marriage of men and women needs to be recognized by the tribal chiefs, betrothal, marriage, need to send gifts to the chiefs. During the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds, both parents and guests, are required to prostrate to the chief.

Many places in the Congo are popular with expensive bride price, usually livestock, goods and cash, if the man can not afford to pay the bride price for the time being, he can go to the woman's home to work, the value of labor to compensate for the bride price.

People's Daily Online - Rituals and Customs of the Congo (Ramblings on Etiquette)

Baidu Encyclopedia - Congo