National traditions of Bahamas. Habits, mentality and the way of living

The culture of the Bahamas is unique because it is a fabulous mix of traditions of black slaves’ descendants from Great Britain and the British people who left the United States when the country got its independence. Because of well-developed tourism, international cultural trends have an impact on the culture of the Bahamas. English is the official language of the Bahamas, and immigrants from Haiti also speak Creole. The vast majority of the islanders are Christian, so visiting the church on Sunday is a must for them. The majority of the Bahamians live in towns, but their lifestyle is still quite slow paced. It is not similar to the crazy rhythm of western cities.

Bahamians are friendly, hospitable, communicative, and polite. They enjoy meeting new people, get new acquaintances, and invite people to visit their houses. However, Bahamians might have some stereotypes about white people. That said, they don’t consider white skinned Bahamians “white”. Islanders who have a romance with non-resident white people, as well as islanders who found their love abroad, might be subject to jokes and puns from their friends, family, and unknown people. At the same time, a pair of Bahamians, in which one partner is white-skinned and the other one is dark-skinned, is absolutely normal. Intolerance or fights because of race are not common on the islands.

Bahamians are not very punctual and might look quite slow because of constant hot weather, but people invited to someone’s house always come in time to show respect to hosts. Bahamians can call themselves natives of the islands or of American or British descend – this usually depends on how many years ago their families arrived on the islands and how long he or she has been living in the Bahamas. Africans make up the majority of the islands’ population. White and mixed-race people are in the minority. All Bahamians are conservative when it comes to their culture. Christianity, family, and devotion to the native culture of the islands are the basis of the mindset of local people, and they are not going to change these values. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Local people prefer to wear relaxed and colorful clothing that is great for hot weather. Women enjoy wearing dresses, and men prefer lightweight fabric pants, shirts, and shorts. For official events and church masses, local people put on clothing that covers legs and arms. Bahamians like talking to their friends and new acquaintances during lunch or dinner. Eating together is a great way of socializing for them. However, they do not like touching such serious themes as politics, religion, crime, and so on while eating. The islanders like fun and good laughter. In their jokes, they often make fun of themselves and sometimes of other people, but their jokes are never harsh. They are not aggressive and do not like arrogant and boastful people.

Bahamians think that everyone is equal, they respect honesty and modesty. However, the mindset of local people has such a feature as faith in local government – Bahamians think that the government “knows it better” how to rule even if local people do not approve of its actions and decisions. This may potentially lead to some inactivity even toward own life. For example, not every islander will ask a higher salary even if he or she really deserves it. This is less true about younger people who are born and raised in a free society. The influence of western culture, in which people prefer to fight for their rights and question authorities, also has a positive impact on the mindset of new generations of Bahamians.

There is a conventional division of the local society on the islands. The upper class is represented by politicians, businessmen, and other rich people. There are many white or light-skinned people in this class. In the middle class, there are businessmen with smaller companies and public officers. As a rule, these are dark-skinned people and Asians. Farmers and workers are one step lower on the social ladder, with only refuges, unemployed, and uneducated people being below. Upper-class people are usually distinguished by quality clothes and houses in big cities. Women are equal to men by law, but it is easier for men to get a prestigious job. Men also often earn more than their wives. Women usually work as teachers and doctors. Housewives are as respected as women with jobs.

Local people chose their partners by themselves. Weddings are usually held in churches. In the countryside, local people can marry their cousins, but this is something that doesn’t happen in cities. A married couple can divorce without any problems. There are families where woman is the head. It is not rare to see retired people raising their grandchildren in the countryside – they do it because parents move to cities in order to earn money. Family is an important treasure for Bahamians. They always take care of their elder relatives as careful as they take care of their children. Traditions gender roles are still strong in local society – girls are expected to be cheerful and help their mothers with household, and boys play outside with other boys and crave for independence.