Marriage and Family

Marriages are typically arranged by the family, and a bride-price is paid by the groom’s parents to the bride’s parents. Village women often marry at about age 15, and men between 18 and 25. People in urban areas tend to marry later. The traditional marriage ceremony lasts three days, with a big feast for friends. In some parts of Niger, it is a traditional custom for the bride to identify one of two hooded men as her husband—she is given hints if necessary.

In a Nigerien family, children must respect their parents. Older people are highly honored and must be obeyed by younger people. It is common for the elderly to live with their adult children. Children are seen as belonging to the entire community, and may be disciplined by neighbors or friends. Wealthier members of the family are expected to share with and help the extended family. Gender roles are rigidly defined. Women do all the house work, such as making flour, collecting firewood, going to the market, drawing each day’s water from the well, and caring for the children. Both men and women work in the fields.

Homes may be thatched or made of mud bricks. Common family activities often take place under a thatched roof in one corner of the compound. The husband is the head of the family. Muslim men may have up to four wives, and animists more than that. Each wife has her own section within a walled family compound, and the wives take turns cooking for all. The husband has his own section and spends time with each wife in rotation. The more wives a man has, the more important he is considered to be. Young men are moving away from this tradition because of the financial responsibility and other burdens involved. However, it is not considered proper for a woman to remain unmarried. Polygamy is less common among educated urban people.

Eating

Millet, sorghum, rice, beans, and macaroni are the staple foods. They are eaten with sauces often made from okra, baobab leaves, groundnuts, and tomatoes. Goat is the most common meat. Yams, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, mangoes, and tomatoes are all available in the cold season, which is usually from November to February. Popular foods include kilshi (spiced dried beef), hura (fermented milk with millet and hot pepper), and brochette, which are similar to shish kebab. Tuwo, pounded millet with a tomato or okra sauce, is common in most villages.

Meals are generally served in a communal bowl and eaten with the right hand or a spoon. Nigeriens generally drink after, not during, the meal. The main meal, which may be in the afternoon or evening, often consists of millet paste and a spicy sauce. In rural areas, men and women eat separately, sitting on woven mats; men and women in urban areas eat together at a table. An urban breakfast may consist of bread and coffee, while a rural breakfast generally consists of leftovers from the day before. Snacks are eaten throughout the day, including groundnuts, kola nuts, sugarcane, dates, fruit, or candy.

Restaurants vary from tables on street corners to expensive outdoor restaurants in large cities. Women usually prepare food sold on the street, but only men eat in public. Men selling cooked meat walk through the cities, balancing a tray on their head. Men also sell bread and coffee on street corners in the morning. Women sit by open fires making kosai, a deep-fried bean cake, or doughnut-like beignets.

Socializing

Greetings depend on the season and the time of day, and usually include inquiries about a person’s health, family, work, or the weather. For example, in Hausa, Ina kwana? (“How did you sleep?”) is appropriate in the morning, but in the afternoon one would say Ina wuni? (“How did you pass the day?”). A response to either question is Lahiya lau (“In health”). Responses are always positive; only after the customary greeting is it appropriate to admit to illness or bad times.

Nigeriens shake hands often, both upon meeting and saying goodbye. The handshaking may continue for several minutes, until all greetings are exchanged. To show special respect, one might touch the upper chest with one’s right hand and then return to the handshake. It is considered polite to shake the hand of every adult at a small gathering. For large groups, one raises the hands to chest level, palms out, and verbally greets those assembled. Traditional Muslim men do not shake hands with women. Some urban Nigeriens may greet with a kiss to each cheek. In the east, the Kanouri greet by shaking a closed fist at head level and calling Wooshay! Wooshay! (“Hello! Hello!”).

People are generally addressed by title, which is often job related. A taxi driver, for example, would be called mai mota (“person with the car”). It is respectful to address the elderly as tsohoua (“old woman”) or tsohou (“old man”). Any Muslim who makes a pilgrimage to Mecca earns the title of el hadj for men or hajia for women.

Paying a visit to someone’s home is a sign of respect. Invitations are rarely issued because people are expected to drop in. Guests are always offered the best seat and something to drink. A large bowl of water for everyone to drink from may be presented. Shoes are removed when entering a home or sitting on a mat. Visitors who stay the night usually bring a gift of goro (kola nuts), groundnuts, onions, fruit, or soap.

Tea drinking is an important part of visiting for Tuaregs, Fulanis, and others. To describe the three rounds of tea that are customarily served, Nigeriens say, “Strong like life, subtle like friendship, sweet like love.” Made in small blue pots over coals, the tea is served in very small cups. Sugar and mint are added each time to make the strong tea progressively sweeter. It is considered impolite to leave before all three rounds are finished. It is usual for the host to accompany departing guests to the door of the house or compound, or to walk them home.

Women sometimes socialize by pounding millet together, braiding hair, or on special occasions painting intricate designs on their hands and feet with henna.

Recreation

Traditional dancing, known as tam-tam, is popular in the villages, where drummers are hired to play so the women can dance. Members of the audience place coins on the foreheads of the dancers they prefer. The money drops to the ground and is swept up by the drummers’ apprentice for their pay.

Women and men do not often spend recreational time together. Traditional wrestling is popular with men, and there is a national competition each year. Men might go to outdoor cinemas in large cities; karate and Indian romance films are popular. Tuaregs enjoy camel racing. Soccer is the favorite sport among Nigerien boys.

Holidays and Celebrations

New Year’s Day is 1 January. Independence Day is 3 August; it is celebrated by planting trees to help counter desertification. The Proclamation of the Republic (before actual independence) is celebrated on 18 December. School holidays are around Christmas (25 December) and Easter.

The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar month, so dates for religious holidays vary from year to year. They include Mouloud (Muhammad’s birthday), which is the only day married women celebrate outside their family compounds; a feast at the end of Ramadan, a month in which Muslims do not eat and drink during daylight hours; and Tabaski (40 days after the Ramadan feast), which commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. On Tabaski, a sheep is slaughtered and shared with friends.

Source: Encarta Interactive World Atlas

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