The Traditions and Customs You didn't Know about TUNISIA

Here are the traditions and customs you didn't know about Tunisia. Without a doubt, a country to discover, Tunisia is by excellence a link between Europe and Africa, between the East and the West. It is the country that was the center of the Empire of Carthage, whose popular traditions perpetuate the distant heritage. It is in Tunisia that you will fill up with blue sky and sun, where you will discover the exceptional heritage, where you will taste the incredible customs and original traditions. Imagine that the Tunisian wedding lasts one week, that Tunisia is the only Muslim country where women's rights are more or less considered, or that smoking shisha is a tradition in Tunisia. For more details, here are some incredible facts about the traditions and customs of Tunisia. Hamam. The hamam is the place to relax and recharge your batteries. It gives your skin a second wind. This ritual, a symbol of oriental beauty, which means that spreads heat or hot water, is in fact a steam bath that we take by passing through different rooms, where the heat varies between 20 and 50 degrees Celsius, and where the environment is saturated with humidity to 100%. The hamam has an essential social significance. In the hamam, mothers could judge the physical condition and beauty of young girls in order to choose their future daughter-in-law. Nowadays, the future wife always goes to the hamam accompanied by her family and friends before the wedding. The purpose of the hamam is to relax the muscles of the body, to clean the skin and to eliminate toxins and other impurities. Ramadan dishes. When the holy month of Ramadan approaches, preparations are made well in advance in Tunisia. Like other Muslim societies, Tunisian society is known for its many customs and traditions related to the occasion. There are specific preparations for each region, with the exception of some culinary habits that are slightly modified. In Cairoan, the soup has its own rituals. The unavoidable masmour or chorba frik is an essential ingredient. It is prepared well in advance to be served throughout the month of the Iftar table. For spices, there is notably Ras el Hanout, the star mixture of Tunisia. Usually homemade, the women start by browning the spices without adding fat to bring out their aromas and let it cool. They mix the preparation and add the turmeric. This is an old Ramadan habit. The bread, a specialty of northwestern Ramadan. The kefours and beijous tend to prepare the ambassador's homemade bread in the gouja before breaking the fast. Of Neoluan origin, the harissa or the harous are two basic ingredients in the kitchen. From north to south, from generation to generation, it is difficult to abandon them. They are essential to season in the Tunisian kitchen. The shisha, also called hookah, a water pipe with which you can smoke plain or flavoured tobacco, is very popular in Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. It is part of the customs, whatever the social environment, and blends completely into the decor from restaurants to homes through cafes. Smoking shisha is also smoking tombak in a water pipe. Tombak is a plant very similar to tobacco which is boiled. At the terrace of a cafe, it is a pleasant pastime that accompanies the conversation, but according to a study, you should know that after 45 minutes, you have ingested 20 more times more tar, 2 times more carbon monoxide and 3 times more nicotine than by smoking a cigarette. Not to mention the risk of transmission of contagious diseases if you pass the pipe from one to another. Traditionally, the Tunisian wedding lasts one week, during which the bride is the center of the world. In the past, the bride wore no less than 7 ceremonial dresses, as heavy as they were rich in embroidery and jewelry. Today, the wedding has been modernized but retains the magic of the past. Therefore, the Tunisian wedding takes place in the rules of ancestral traditions for 7 days, namely the first day, Sabun, where the bride's trousseau is prepared between aunts and cousins. The second day, Hazen el Farge, is the continuation of Sabun, where we unpack all the trousseau of the bride in front of the family which helps to arrange it. The third day, Hamam. On this day, the hamam is entirely reserved for the bride, where she goes in an exclusive procession of women in an atmosphere of songs and darbouka. The fourth day, Henna, used to bring luck to the bride in her marital life. The fifth day, Harkous. Similar to the previous night, a second layer of henna is applied and drawn on the hands and feet. The fifth day, Harkous. Similar to the previous night, a second layer of henna is applied and drawn on the hands and feet. On the sixth day, La Outeya or La Rousseau party, where the bride-to-be is exposed to all grace and admiring eyes. The seventh day, Dokla. The d-day, when the two grooms meet in a common party, where the whole family, friends, and neighbors are invited. The groom wears a suit or a jebe, a traditional Tunisian wedding made of silk. The bride wears a traditional dress that differs according to the region. Eating in Tunisia. Spices, starches, harissa, tahin, couscous, kamias. This is what awaits you when you dine in Tunisia. People who are watching their figure or who have to be careful with their diet for medical reasons are well advised to go to the local markets to stock up and cook home-cooked meals. When you go to eat at someone's house, it can be a complicated situation. If you don't finish your meal, you seem to be saying it wasn't good, but if you do finish it, the hostess will think you are still hungry and you can refuse to let her refill your plate of couscous. If you are really not hungry anymore, try to leave a small amount on the plate and if she wants to serve you again, say that you are on a diet. If the dish was excellent, put your hand in front of your mouth and burp a little and say amdoulilah. Emancipation of Tunisian women. In no other Muslim country do women have the place they have in Tunisia. Certainly, many women in the large cities of the north have had a life very close to that of Westerners so far, but others still remain subject to the authority of their husbands, especially in the south or in the more remote villages. In October 2012, a young woman raped by police officers found herself in the dock for indecent assault and became the symbol of this degradation of the rights acquired by women in Tunisia over the past 50 years. To alert the public and international opinion, Amina Sbouy, a young student and member of the Femen Movement, decided to strike hard in early 2013 by posing on social networks topless with this slogan My body belongs to me and it is nobody's honor. A justice seal never seen in a country ruled by Islamists, which earned her death threats. Two months later, she was arrested for tagging Femen on a wall. Today, women are an integral part of the socio-economic world. If they fight against the rise of Islamists and mainly Salafists, it is to oppose a vision of society to underline the political and economic incompetence of the fundamentalists, to preserve themselves from an oppressive past and to turn towards the future. With the adoption of the new constitution, they have certainly won a victory, but there is still a long way to go. Religion in Tunisia Beware, religion means taboos and in Tunisia there are numerous. It is advisable to keep a certain reserve regarding your religious convictions. It is necessary to remind you that expatriation means knowing how to be accepted by a country and a people and not the opposite. With a few exceptions, access to mosques is forbidden to non-Muslims. Do not try to enter, you could be turned away without any kindness. However, if you are invited, you can go accompanied by Muslims. Don't forget to leave your shoes outside before you enter the mosque. To enter a mosque, you must have your legs and arms covered, men and women. Women must also cover their hair and do not take any pictures and remain silent. So, of all these facts, are there any you already knew before watching this video? And which ones impressed you the most? Now it's time to take over your keyboard.