45 Facts About Culture: Let Us Learn About The History, Types & More

Shirin Biswas
Dec 19, 2022 By Shirin Biswas
Originally Published on Mar 15, 2022
Edited by Aubree Mosby
Fact-checked by Niyati Parab
Read on to learn some interesting culture facts!
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 8.3 Min

Culture plays an important role in the identity of all people.

Whether it be entire countries or smaller groups of individuals, cultural identity is something that people hold very close to their hearts. Understanding where culture comes from and how it started is an integral part of completely knowing about one's own identity.

Traditions and customs that make up the culture of a certain group of people are influenced by a lot of factors. Hence, proper understanding of how values and beliefs of an entire community came into being can only be attained through proper study of the roots.

Culture is specific to communities. With globalization, people from different cultures are coming together and interacting more than ever, which has led to the mixing up of core values. This has been creating some new and improved cultures around the world. Keep reading to learn more!

The Main Philosophy Behind Culture

Culture refers to the set norms, beliefs and way of life of a certain part society or small group of people. Such groups can be as small as a tiny village and as huge as an entire country. It is also important to understand that some countries have a set of core values that are common across all the individual cultures that reside in different parts of it. This is most evident in India, where there are many regional cultures and also a uniform and general national culture.

Culture basically refers to the way of life of different communities.

Such communities can be big or small, depending on a range of factors.

Factors such as music and religion also play an important part in the formation of cultures.

Food and harvest is also a huge part of culture.

Culture may include the smallest of things, such as gestures that are seen in good light and others that are considered rude.

Language and its utilization is also dictated by the culture of a certain place.

Children are taught the culture of their own community from a very young age.

This instills a need for them to be able to honor these cultural values.

However, young adults, with increased exposure from people of different cultures, often try to amalgamate the good values within themselves.

This creates some great variations of the original cultures.

Comparison Between Various Cultures

The world is huge and not all cultures are the same. This essentially means that there are major differences between various cultures and the way in which they look at different practices. While something may be the way of life in a certain place, it can be considered impolite in another place. Globalization has made it important for people to be aware of cultural differences so that they do not offend anyone.

According to the traditions in some South-East Asian countries, slurping loudly is a compliment to the chef.

If people slurp on their soup very loudly, the Chinese or Japanese cook will know that they cooked up a great meal.

However, not all people share the same sentiments about slurping.

In some parts of the world, such as the United States of America, loud slurping is considered rude and impolite.

On the other hand, blowing your nose loudly in Japan would be a very bad idea.

The people there take this as an uncouth act.

In some places of the world, such as Japan, tipping people is seen in bad light.

However, it is important that you tip people when in the USA.

The people of Ireland, UK and USA never disclose their personal matters such as age and gender on their resume.

This is because in such parts of the world, employers consider people equally and are not influenced by such factors.

When in Ethiopia, it is important that you let people feed you.

This is considered a way of showing love and appreciation.

The people of China have many customs and traditions when it comes to gifting.

There are many things that can offend people and almost end your relationship with them.

Gifting tea may be one of the very best options when in China.

In Tanzania, people are expected to be at least 15 minutes late for all dinner plans.

Anyone who arrives on time for a dinner party is considered rude in Tanzania.

Jumping the queue in the United Kingdom is a very bad idea. It can offend people and end up in a brawl!

When in Denmark, don't be alarmed if someone suggests that you and your children go for a picnic in the cemetery.

Cemeteries are maintained very well in Denmark and allow people to have a great time.

When in Thailand, don't put food in your mouth with forks.

The only utensil used for shoveling food into your mouth should be a spoon.

Put the food on your spoon through the fork.

On the other hand, there are some places, such as Chile, where you simply cannot eat with your hands!

When in South Korea, make sure to use both of your hands while giving people something.

Especially cases where you are carrying out a monetary transaction, it is important that you do not use just one hand for handing over the cash or card.

In Malaysia, you are very likely to be frowned at for touching someone's head.

Gestures do not have the same implication in Turkey as they do in other parts of the world.

The simplest of gestures, such as an 'okay', could mean something very offensive in Turkey, which is why most people are advised against the use of gestures altogether.

In the Japanese society, it is very common for people to ask your age.

They have certain beliefs about the way in which people should interact and the words that they should use for people of different ages.

It is for this reason that they ask people's age!

Africa is considered to be the most linguistically diverse continent on Earth!

The Importance Of Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity has enabled the word to find its balance in terms of beliefs and customs. As people of different cultural beliefs have been coming together, they have also been more accepting of the traditions of each other.

Cultural diversity is essential for a well-rounded society.

It helps in attaining a foreigner's perspective about one's cultural practices.

Diversity also opens up the gates for the good factors of different cultures to mix up and form a better set of values.

As cultures influence each other, the society grows more accepting of positive change.

Things such as official languages, music, food, religion, and immigrants can influence the culture of a community.

While cultures around the world do not essentially share the same values, they all dictate the moral and righteous way of life for people.

FAQs

What is a fact about culture?

Culture is influenced by several factors such as geography, religion, language, and food. The influence of geography is sometimes assumed to be paramount since people mostly have country-specific cultural values. However, cultures may differ within the same countries as well. In addition to this, food and music are great cultural tools. The kind of food that grows in a certain place, and the way in which it is harvested, can also be a way of understanding culture. It is well understood that culture takes many years to be established, and given its highly influential nature, cultures of different parts of the world are bound to amalgamate if there is proper exposure for prolonged periods of time.

What are good culture facts for kids?

The beliefs and customs advocated for in a particular culture is imbibed into the psyche of children from a very tender age. This is because they are brought up in an environment that honors cultures and traditions. However, it is also important to understand that no matter how much people are taught to honor their culture from a young age, it is essential that they try to honor other cultures as well. Without being accepting towards different cultures of the world, people are bound to become stagnated.

What are five different cultures?

There are more than just five cultures in the world. Since our planet is so huge and has housed humans for such a long time, people from previous years have also left their mark on the world. Every place on Earth has its own distinct culture, which is why there must be around thousands of them. However, some of the most famous and reputed cultures are Chinese, Indian, Italian, French, American, English and Japanese cultures. Apart from this, in terms of the factors by which cultures of the world are most commonly influenced, language, religion, festivals, and food come foremost.

What is 'woke' culture?

The 'woke' culture is one wherein people are aware of their immediate surroundings. A 'woke' person is someone who stays on top of all the political news and knows about the unfortunate events that certain marginalized sections of the world go through. In the popular culture, being 'woke' can simply mean being aware and well informed.

What are some examples of culture?

Countries like Japan provide a perfect example of culture. For example, Japanese people are very protective of their traditional garment, which is a kimono. There is a very specific decorum for wearing a kimono and people are supposed to follow the rules that were set hundreds of years ago. It is also a part of Japanese culture for people to never blow their noses in front of others. This is considered to be an uncouth act.

How is society different from culture?

A society is basically a group of people who abide by the rules and customs set by a specific culture.

What is the actual meaning of culture?

In very simplified terms, culture refers to the core values, norms, and customs of a certain small group of people. It can be influenced by several factors such as language, religion, and music.
 

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Sources

https://omniglot.com/language/articles/10culturaldifferences.htm

https://facts.net/culture-facts/

https://kids.kiddle.co/Culture

https://www.factmonster.com/culture-entertainment/culture

https://rivieranayarit.villalaestancia.com/blog/destination/5-interesting-facts-about-the-culture-and-traditions-of-mexico

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Written by Shirin Biswas

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature

Shirin Biswas picture

Shirin BiswasBachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature

With a degree in English from Amity University, Noida, Shirin has won awards for oratory, acting, and creative writing. She has a wealth of experience as an English teacher, editor, and writer, having previously worked at Quizzy and Big Books Publishing. Her expertise lies in editing study guides for children and creating engaging content.

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