Hello Bees! This is my entry to the Cross-culture Monthly Contest titled Cultural Values. You may participate by clicking on the title to see the contest post. I must say these monthly contests are interesting as they give hivers opportunities to enlighten each other about various cultural issues.
I cannot imagine the number of languages, tribes and ethnic groups we have all over the world. Each of these groups have their own distinct customs, traditions and beliefs that make up their cultural values. I'll tell you a little about mine.
I am from the Yoruba tribe, one of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Our culture is quite rich and we have amazing histories dating back to when the world was created! It is generally believed among the Yorubas that we were the first settlers on earth. So you can imagine how far we have come. I'll talk about a few of our customs that we hold dearly.
Respect - Right from childhood, as soon as a child can speak, we are taught the importance of respect. Especially respect for our seniors and elders. The term senior implies a person that is a minute older than you by birth! Surprised?
The concept of respect goes to the way we speak, greet, act and relate with each other. Even in our language, respect is embedded in it. There are certain words you use for those younger and older than you.
Whenever anyone disrespects an elder, it is regarded as an abomination sort of and some form of punishment would definitely follow.
Childbirth/Naming - We place high value on naming a child and make a ceremony of it. Usually, when a child is born, on the eighth day, a ceremony is held where the child would be named. It is believed that a child's destiny is tied to his name, so a meaningful name that would bring such a child good luck and blessings in life would be given. I admire this value so much because it calls for the power of positivity and makes the child know that he/she is valued.
Also, the parents would take into consideration the lineage of the family and name the child accordingly. For instance, if the family origin is from the 'Oguns', the child may be named 'Ogunwale' or if of royal blood, the child may be named 'Adekemi' etc. This means the surname or family name would be used as a prefix before the child's first name.
We also indulge in giving children pet names and praise names called oriki. Such names are used when the child has done something good or made the family proud.
Family - At the center of Yoruba culture is the family. We highly esteem family relationships and everything done is centered around this. This could be due to the fact that most of us come from big extended families but with modernization, attention is now on the nuclear family. Still, family relationships are highly valued.
This is evident at ceremonies and festivals where it becomes compulsory for every member to attend. The end of the year ceremonies is what most of us look forward to where the value of family and togetherness is celebrated. No matter what an individual may be going through, you will always have a family member to fall back on.
Immortality - The Yorubas believe that life does not end here on earth; there is an afterlife which is believed to be far better. This is one of the reasons we celebrate funerals elaborately.
Burial ceremonies are usually held over a period of two to three days. Day one would comprise the wake keeping, day two for prayers for the deceased and burial. Day three for the reception, that is partying. Some combine day two and three into one day. This party could last all through the whole night.
When it comes to funerals, the family, especially children of the deceased, would jointly take care of the expenses for the ceremony.
These are some of my cultural values. I invite 
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