5 Similarities that cut Across Diverse African Cultures

 

Africa is one of the continents of the seven continents we have in the world, and our culture in different spheres of life is what put us in groups. Despite being culturally different, there are some similarities that our culture shares as Africans.

Below are 5 Similarities that cut Across Diverse African Cultures:

1. Hospitality:

It is no news that Africans are well-grounded in hospitality. They do not joke with their visitors. For instance, Nigeria as one of the countries in Africa are good hosts to their visitors both within and outside. The Nigerian tribes: Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa are very hospitable ethnic tribes. In the pre-colonial era, the Igbos will provide Kolanuts for their visitors to chew. They will give their visitors to break the lobe, and eat from it first, before passing the rest to them. All African tribes are hospitable. It is their sheer hospitality that resulted into the Whites coming to colonise them. In their spirit of utmost hospitality, they gave chance to the Whites to do theirs without conflict, before those ones imposed their ways of life on them, and here we are living with mixed cultural values.

2. Love for the Aged, Women and Infant:

Africans are humans, so we have only humanistic insights to things. We love our elders. We do not only love them, we also respect them. They were once our leaders, so we do not joke with them. During wars, we do not allow them to fight. We put them somewhere safe. We do not sideline them in the affairs of the community. We still go to them to help us see through their lenses. We love them. Even when they die, we give them a befitting burial. Have you attended any elder burial, before? You go marvel! Likewise, we love our women. We care for them. We see them as precious gifts that money can't buy. We adore them. We don't expose them to harsh conditions. Even when war was rampaging in the community, they stay indoors in a safe place. They are the givers of life, and they are dear to our very soul. Infants? They are just the set of people we live for. We train them to be good leaders of tomorrow. Africans do not leave their children at a particular age and say "They are now adults". African elders no really send you. They will keep scolding you until God knows when.

3. Religion:

Africans and their gods are 5 and 6. They do not joke with them. They do not take issues of their faith with levity. It is in the African space that you will seem them celebrating 'Year of Peace' when they must not shed blood on Mother Earth. Mother Earth is one of the gods in the Igbo community. Africans do not joke with their gods, and their responsibilities to them. They pour libations on their gods, make sacrifices to them, and observe their periods, in respect to them. All Africans are religious. Their own sef don pass the oyinbo wey bring the modern religions we have now. That is why more of our buildings in Africa are churches and mosques. Africans too carry religion for head.

4. Morality:

Because Africans are good adherents of their different faiths, they have morals. In their mode of speaking, dressing, thinking, eating, and life in general, Africans are modest. There is nothing such as freedom in this space. There are laws that guide what you do, so the adjective 'babaric' doesn't suit us. We don't do things anyhow. We follow the laws of God and humans. We don't sleep and wake one day to say we want to start doing things this way. That it is our right. That it is our sexuality. That we have the rights. We do not jump around trying immoral and unlawful things in the name of freedom. Things that are against the human laws. Morals are held tightly here. You can't act funny here, and not get criticised. Insults are part of our folklores. If you try immoral things in the name of freedom, you will be heavily insulted. They are moralistic human beIngs, so they no send you with the 'I have rights.' and "It is my life" mentalities that you are carrying about.

5. Aesthetic:

Being African is being beautiful. All Africans are beautiful. Our culture and everything about us is beautiful. Our skin, our dressing, our adornments, our language, even our scenery, the way we do our things; beauty and aesthetic reside here, do not search further. Have you heard Africans speak their native tongues? Our original intonation! Such euphonic jumble of words can only be heard here. We don't stifle our tongue to speak, nor do we manually place our tongue to bring out a sound. Our native words comes out with no stress. God understands our language, and carved our oral cavity in accordance to it. Also, our perception of beauty is top-notch and original. We appreciate nature. 

These are the five similarities that cut across diverse African cultures. These similarities project who we are and what we carry. Do you know that Africans' native languages are laced with proverbs? Click here to read "10 Uncommon African Proverbs and their Meanings".