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Regional customs and habits
Customs of Botswana
Marriage and Family
Because of the expense involved in formal marriage, more than half of all couples live together rather than marrying. Traditional ceremonies involve two or more days of eating, drinking, dancing, and speeches. When a couple becomes engaged, the two families begin negotiations regarding the bogadi (bride-price), which the groom’s family gives to the bride’s family. Civil weddings are sometimes followed by traditional celebrations.
Customs of Bulgaria
Marriage and Family
The average age for women to marry is between 18 and 25. Men tend to marry when somewhat older. A church wedding often follows the legal civil ceremony, and a large reception, which often involves folk music and dancing, is held in the evening. Wedding traditions include pinning money on the bride’s dress to represent future prosperity, the groom serenading the bride at her home, and the couple pulling on opposite ends of a loaf of bread—whoever gets the largest piece will be the boss of the family. Honeymoons are a new tradition.
Customs of Cambodia
Marriage and Family
Although intermarriage between Khmer and other ethnic groups was a common practice in the past, it is not today. Wedding celebrations last a full day and are occasions for many guests, abundant food, and plenty of music.
4.74 children per woman (2001)Several generations usually live together or near one another, and the elderly are cared for by their children. Because so many men died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge,
Customs of Burundi
Marriage and Family
Most Burundians live in self-contained compounds of small round grass huts scattered over the country’s many hills. The rugo, the traditional Tutsi hut, is divided into sections and surrounded by an enclosure and cattle corrals. Social roles are largely determined by ethnicity; the Tutsi are known traditionally as herders, the Hutu as peasant farmers, and the Twa as hunter-gatherers. Family life is central in all groups. Traditionally, the principal goal in life was parenthood.
Customs of Cameroon
Marriage and Family
Marriage is taken very seriously by the couple’s families, even if the two meet nontraditionally. Negotiations can last months or years, involving obligations after marriage for many people on both sides. Women marry at an average age of 19 and men at 27 (younger in rural areas, older in cities). Ceremonies are usually simple, but some couples in urban areas choose to have a European-style reception.