Is Pakistani culture dying?

[lastofthepatriots]

When I was growing up, we had dining tables. But whenever family got together to eat, we spread out a white chadar on the floor and all sat while eating food together. Do Pakistanis still do this or is this something we older people do?

 

[lastofthepatriots]

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Well in Pakistan you have more people extended family etc so a table is not big enough so yes the eating on ground was mandatory.

However when family members are few then obviously you can eat normally also on table

 

[lastofthepatriots]

@Maarkhoor @Ocean @Saif al-Arab @dsr478 @TurkeyForever @Serpentine @Oscar @WebMaster @Zibago @Ahmet Pasha @Zarvan @Spring Onion @Rafi @Windjammer @Valar Morghulis/Dohaeris @Pukhtoon @DESERT FIGHTER @Desert Fox @MastanKhan @Imran Khan @Areesh

Well in Pakistan you have more people extended family etc so a table is not big enough so yes the eating on ground was mandatory.

However when family members are few then obviously you can eat normally also on table

Ji, magar maaza zameen par bet ke ataa he.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Can't add much as a foreigner but no culture is static. Cultures change with the time. The key is to keep and protect those cultural values that are timeless and useful regardless of the era that we are living in and slowly (naturally) leave aside what might have worked in the past but what is considered to be outdated by large today. However what might be considered "outdated" today, some people can retain if they want to as long as they do not bother others. That's my take on it.

My two quick cents bro for what it is worth as a foreigner.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

Can't add much as a foreigner but no culture is static. Cultures change with the time. The key is to keep and protect those cultural values that are timeless and useful regardless of the era that we are living and slowly (naturally) leave aside what might have worked in the past but what is outdated by large today.

My two quick cents bro for what it is worth as a foreigner.

In Pakistani culture, we would all sit together as a family and eat. Meaning breakfast, lunch and dinner were prepared by our hardworking and brave grandmothers. Nowdays, I think Pakistanis following western culture prefer to eat in private. But in the days that I was raised, we all ate together on the floor with 50 different dishes amongst family.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

In Pakistani culture, we would all sit together as a family and eat. Meaning breakfast, lunch and dinner were prepared by our hardworking and brave grandmothers. Nowdays, I think Pakistanis following western culture prefer to eat in private. But in the days that I was raised, we all ate together on the floor with 50 different dishes amongst family.

It's a general worldwide trend I believe due to social media and growing individualism on all fronts. Similar things (tendencies) are occurring in KSA and the Arab world. However for now it is mostly the youth and not all of them.

What you are mentioning is something completely natural for me. Eating together as a family or friends and discussing the events of the day and everything that one can think of is as natural for me as waking up to take a """" in the morning. Expect for the fact that my sleeping pattern has been messed up for the past 6 months. A little irrelevant side note.

 

[Valar.]

If that's your definition of dying culture than you can say that it's dying. I call it evolving culture. You defition is based on materials. Mine, is about family values. If we lose our family values and still sit on chadar and eat alone, then yes our culture is dead, otherwise not.

But let's see who eats where and why.
There are 2 factors here:
1. Rich people go for dining table while poor still eat at chadar.
2. When there are more people involved even rich sit at chadar and eat.

You see, our culture is about family values. It doesn't matter whether we sit at table or at floor to eat. What matters is our strong bonds in families.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

It's a general worldwide trend I believe due to social media and growing individualism on all fronts. Similar things (tendencies) are occurring in KSA and the Arab world. However for now it is mostly the youth and not all of them.

What you are mentioning is something completely natural for me. Eating together as a family or friends and discussing the events of the day and everything that one can think of is as natural for me as waking up to take a """" in the morning.

I guess I can't speak for others in Pakistan, but eating together was a big thing in my family. Discussing your day and making jokes with each other over food was pretty normal. Maybe my fault in this thread is that other Pakistani people did not practice this. But in my family it was very normal and I just assumed that other Pakistanis also do this.

If that's your definition of dying culture than you can say that it's dying. I call it evolving culture. You defition is based on materials. Mine, is about family values. If we lose our family values and still sit on chadar and eat alone, then yes our culture is dead, otherwise not.

But let's see who eats where and why.
There are 2 factors here:
1. Rich people go for dining table while poor still eat at chadar.
2. When there are more people involved even rich sit at chadar and eat.

You see, our culture is about family values. It doesn't matter whether we sit at table or at floor to eat. What matters is our strong bonds in families.

My brother, I'm just guessing you are a bit younger than myself. In the 80's and 90's in Pakistan, we would sit together and discuss all family issues. Men and women. All sitting on chadar and eating. You are right in the sense that table or chadar doesn't make a difference when it comes to discussing something. But chadar was the platform where all family members would come together and speak/eat. That would be the excuse for everyone to come together.

 

[Valar.]

My brother, I'm just guessing you are a bit younger than myself. In the 80's and 90's in Pakistan, we would sit together and discuss all family issues. Men and women. All sitting on chadar and eating. You are right in the sense that table or chadar doesn't make a difference when it comes to discussing something. But chadar was the platform where all family members would come together and speak/eat. That would be the excuse for everyone to come together.

I am in 30's, older than you

See, During Iftar and especially Iftar parties, even rich people still sit on chadar.
During weddings, majority of urban population eat at tables. While in rural areas, it's mostly chadar but with the rise of catering providers and marriage lawns, chadar culture is dying there too. So, yeah, in a way you can say that chadar culture is dying. But you need to understand, chadar was/is just a material just like tables. We can eat opt for one, use both or leave both and go for any new option, it doesn't matter. What matters is our family values which are based on humans not some materials.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

@Saif al-Arab

It is small things like this that you slowly start to forget about and ultimately forget about your cultural values over. You may not know about Pakistan, but you can definitely give your perspective on such a thing regarding Saudis.

I am in 30's, older than you

See, During Iftar and especially Iftar parties, even rich people still sit on chadar.
During weddings, majority of urban population eat at tables. While in rural areas, it's mostly chadar but with the rise of catering providers and marriage lawns, chadar culture is dying there too. So, yeah, in a way you can say that chadar culture is dying. But you need to understand, chadar was/is just a material just like tables. We can eat opt for one, use both or leave both and go for any new option, it doesn't matter. What matters is our family values which are based on humans not some materials.

I understand what you mean. I guess I am just a bit more traditional in my views. Don't worry, you are not really that much older than me.

Sitting on the ground just brings a sense of humbleness. Not something you can emulate while sitting at a table.

 

[Maarkhoor]

When I was growing up, we had dining tables. But whenever family got together to eat, we spread out a white chadar on the floor and all sat while eating food together. Do Pakistanis still do this or is this something we older people do?

We still use Chaddar or Daster-Khawan for that purpose especially on Eid and other family gatherings.

 

[Valar.]

Sitting on the ground just brings a sense of humbleness.

Yea, and it also brings pain in the butt and to minimize that, we have cushions and 'Darri'(rug/mat)

 

[lastofthepatriots]

We still use Chaddar or Daster-Khawan for that purpose especially on Eid and other family gatherings.

Saday kar ussi edan hi dupair da kana kanday'aa.
Bus aj kal de bachayan nu ki pata. Ehi te minu fikar aa ustaad.

 

[Maarkhoor]

Saday kar ussi edan hi dupair da kana kanday'aa.
Bus aj kal de bachayan nu ki pata. Ehi te minu fikar aa ustaad.

Our kids love to have lunch/diner that way, we offer khatam every week on Thursday and we all sat down on darri / dasterkhawan and eat together.

I love this man.