Thailand-culture

ThailandCultureClass:English1506Name:CharlotteDate:20thDecemberSUMMARYThailandcultureisinfluencedbymanyculturessuchasnearbyLaos,Cambodia,MyanmarandChina.ThecultureofThailandhasmanyaspectssuchasreligion,cuisine,customsandmarriage.Almost95%peopleinthiscountryareTheravadaBuddhist.InThailand,thoseboyswhobelieveinBuddhism,evenintheroyalfamilyandnobles,allshouldbeamonkonce.Mostofthedishescombinefourfundamentaltastesofsalty,sour,spicyandsweetinThailand.ThemostimportantThaicustomistheWai,whichisusedforgreeting,farewell,acknowledgmentorapologize.TheweddingoftenhastheBuddhistcomponentbecauseofthereligion’sinfluence.ThailandCultureMuchofThailand’sculturecomesfromtheethnicThaipeople.OneofthemostimportantinfluencesonThaiculturehasbeenBuddhism.ManyofthetraditionsandbeliefsofthepeopleinThailandstemdirectlyfromBuddhistprinciples.HinduismhasalsomadeimportantcontributionstoThaiculture,andthecloselinksbetweenThailandandIndiacanbeseeninmanyThaicustoms.TheculturesofnearbyLaos,Cambodia,Myanmar,andChinahavealsoplayedanimportantroleinformingthetraditionsofThailand,ashaveindigenousbeliefsystemssuchasAnimism1.ReligionThailandispredominantlyaTheravadaBuddhistcountrybuttherearetheminoritiesandtheMuslimsaswell.Forcenturies,customs,literature,artandarchitecturehavebeencloselyrelatedtoBuddhism.ThaiTheravadaBuddhismissupportedandoverseenbythegovernment,withmonk-sreceivingaanumberofgovernmentbenefits,suchasfreeuseofthepublictransport-ationinfrastructure.InThailand,thoseboyswhobelieveinBuddhism,toacertainage,shouldbeamonkonce,eventheroyalfamilyandnoblesarenoexception.IfyougotoThailandforavisityoucanseemonkswearingyellowrobesandSplendidTempleeverywhere.Therefore,ThailandhasthereputationofyellowgownIndia.MostThaipeopleownspirithouses,miniaturewoodenhousesinwhichtheybelievehouseholdspiritslive.Theseusuallyaresmallmodelhousesplacedonapedestal,thatserveasahomeforthespiritsassociatedwiththesite.Thesehousesare1(accessedDecember19th,2016)decoratedandpresentedwithdailyofferings.Manylargetreesalsoareconsideredtoserveasthehomeofspiritsandaredecoratedandgivenofferings.TheThai’spresentofferingsoffoodanddrinktothesespiritstokeepthemhappy.Ifthesespiritsaren’thappy,itisbelievedthattheywillinhabitthelargerhouseholdoftheThai,andcausechaos.CuisineThaicuisineisextremelypopularduetotheblendingofthefourfundamentaltastesofsalty,sour,spicyandsweet.Mostofthedishescombinealloftheseandthereareinnumerablespicesandherbsusedtoachievethis.Thisisaccomplishedbyusingahostofherbs,spicesandfruit,including:chili,galangal,garlic,limeleaves,basil,sweetbasil,lime,lemongrass,coriander,pepper,turmeric,andshallotaswellasvinegarandsugar.Riceisthestaplefoodateverymealformostpeople.Amealwillincluderice,disheswithgravy,sidedishes,soup,andasalad.WhereasincentralandsouthernThailandpolishedwhitericeiseaten,inthenorthandnortheastpeopleeatglutinousorstickyrice.Fishandshellfisharepopular.Curriesareeatenthroughoutthecountry,butthereareregionalvarieties.NorthernandnortheasternfoodissimilartothatofLaosandconsistsofmoremeat,includingmeatservedassausages,oraslarb2.Chinesefoodhasinfluencedthenationalcuisine,especiallyinregardtonoodledishes.Sweetsareeatenassnacks.Apopularsnackisgreenpapayasalad.Inthepast,thereweremarkeddifferencesbetweenthefoodofthecommonpeopleandthatofthenobility.Women2(accessedDecember19th,2016)innoblehouseholdswereproficientatdecorativecarvingofvegetablesandfruits.Inrecentdecades,thispracticehasbecomepopularamongthemiddleclasses.Whereascommercialalcoholicdrinksarecommonthroughoutthecountry,non-commercialalcoholmadefromriceisstillrecognized.CustomsThetraditionalcustomsofThaipeopleweregatheredanddescribedbyPhyaAnumanRajadhoninthe20thcentury,atatimewhenmodernitychangedthefaceofThailandandagreatnumberoftraditionsdisappearedorbecameadaptedtomodernlife.3ThemostdistinctiveThaicustomistheWai,whichisusedforgreeting,farewell,oracknowledgment.TheWaiisalsoawayofsayingthankyou,ortoapologize.Thewaicomesinseveralformsreflectingtherelativestatusofthoseinvolvedandconsistsofaprayer-likegesturewiththehands,andabowofthehead.Thecloserthehandsareheldtotheforeheadandthelowerthebowthemorerespectisbeingshown.Theonelowerinageorstatusbowsfirst.Thatpersoninhigheragethenresponds.Ifthereisalargesocialdifferencebetweenstatus,theWaimaynotbeevenbereturnedatall.TaboosinThailandincludetouchingsomeone'sheadorpointingwiththefeet,astheheadisconsideredthemostsacredandthefootthelowestpartofthebody.ShoesareconsideredevenmoreuncleanthanfeetinThailandculture.MarriageThaimarriageceremoniesbetweenBuddhistsaregenerallydividedintotwoparts:aB3NewHaven,H-RAFPress,1961(accessedDecember19th,2016)-uddhisthcomponent,fwhichkincludestherecitationofprayersandtheofferingoffoo-d,drinksandothergiftstomonksandimagesoftheBuddha,andanon-Buddhistcomponentrootedinfolktraditions,whichcentersonthecouple'sfamil-y.DuringtheBuddhistcomponentoftheweddingservice,thecouplefirstbowbeforeth-eimageoftheBuddha.TheygthenrecitecertainbasicBuddhistprayersorchants(t