Cambodian culture

1. Cambodian Culture

2. Introduction Various factors contribute to the Cambodian culture including Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, French colonialism, Angkorian culture, and modern globalization. Things we are talking about today: Clothing Customs Cuisine Family and Marriage Music and Arts

3. Clothing Clothing in Cambodia is one of the most important aspects of the culture. Cambodian fashion differs according to ethnic group and social class Khmer people traditionally wear a checkered scarf called a  Krama . The " krama " is what distinctly separates the Khmer (Cambodians) from their neighbors the Thai, the Vietnamese, and the Laotians.

4. Clothing The long-popular traditional garment known as the  Sampot , is an Indian-influenced costume which Cambodians have worn since the  Funan  era.    Sampots are worn over the lower body and oftentimes nothing from the waist up except jewelry including bracelets and collars such as the  Sarong Kor , a symbol of Hinduism.

5. Clothing As Buddhism began to replace Hinduism, Khmer people started wearing the blouse, shirt and trousers of Khmer style. Khmer people, both common and royal, stopped wearing the Hindu-style collars and began to adopt beautiful decorated shawls such as  Sbai  instead. In fact, a Khmer lady habitually chooses the right colour for her  Sampot  or blouse, both to please herself and to follow the costume of good luck.

6. General Customs In Khmer culture a person's head is believed to contain the person's soul--therefore making it taboo to touch or point one's feet at it. It is also considered to be extremely disrespectful to use the feet to point out a person, or to sit or sleep with the soles of the feet pointing at a person, as the feet are the lowest part of the body and are considered to be impure. When greeting people or to show respect in Cambodia people do the " sampeah " gesture, identical to the Indian  namaste  and Thai  wai .

7. In Cambodia it is not polite to make eye contact with someone who is older or someone who is considered a superior.

8. Cuisine Khmer cuisine is similar to that of its Southeast Asian neighbors. It shares many similarities with Thai cuisine, Vietnamese cuisine and  Teochew cuisine. Cambodian cuisine also uses fish sauce in soups, stir-fried cuisine, and as dippings .

9. Examples of Cambodian food Fish Amok

10. Examples of Cambodian food Beef Loklak

11. Examples of Cambodian food Fried Tarantula’s

12. Examples of Cambodian food Balut

13. Family and marriage Marriage traditionally is arranged by the parents of the bride and groom or by someone acting as their representative. Ideally, the groom originates the courtship process Considerations of the benefits to the two families often figure more prominently in the choice of a marriage partner than does romantic love. It is not unusual for decisions about marriage to be made before a couple has had much contact. Specialists in reading horoscopes typically are consulted about the appropriateness of a wedding, although their advice is not always followed. The groom pays bride-wealth to the family of the bride; this money sometimes is used to buy jewelry or clothing for the bride or defray the cost of the wedding.

14. Family and Marriage Legally, the husband is the head of the Khmer family, but the wife has considerable authority, especially in family economics. The husband is responsible for providing shelter and food for his family; the wife is generally in charge of the family budget, and she serves as the major ethical and religious model for the children, especially the daughters. Both husbands and wives are responsible for domestic economic tasks

15. Music and arts Cambodian Dance can be divided into three main categories: classical dance, folk dances, and vernacular dances. Khmer classical dance is a form of Cambodian dance originally performed only for royalty Khmer folk dances, which are performed for audiences, are fast-paced. The movements and gestures are not as stylized as Khmer classical dance. Folk dancers wear clothes of the people they are portraying such as  Chams , hill tribes, farmers, and peasants. Cambodian vernacular dances (or social dances) are those danced at social gatherings.

16. Music and Arts Apsara Dance, a  khmer dance that has survived since the Angkor Era, has been singled out to attract foreign tourists and to make the richness of khmer culture known to the world.