CULTURAL

=Afghani Culture=



__Kite Flying__ Kite Flying is a well known amusement in Afghanistan. In Kabul, many people gather together to fly their kites or to watch the sky fill up with different sorts of kites. In Afghanistan, kite fighting is also very popular, especially in the winter. This activity called “gudiparan bazi,” requires the help of two people. One person flies the kite and the other holds the spool of wire. The wire of the kite is very sharp and when flying it, the wire may cut your fingers. The objective of kite fighting is to cut the other kites in the sky. Once the defeated kites fall, people chase after them. In the Kite Runner, this was an activity a lot of people practice, Amir says, “For kite runners, the most coveted prize was the last fallen kite of a winter tournament. It was a trophy of honor…” (Hosseini, 52) When the Taliban took over Afghanistan, kite fighting was banned because it was not thought of as an Islamic activity. Today kite flying is no longer banned and is still a practiced activity in Afghanistan.

//Kite Flying in Kabul, Afghanistan//

**__Agha-__** is a term used in Muslim culture for military commanders from several different branches. The term is also used to address officers and political officials.
===**__Sahib-__** is a term of respect meaning sir or lord. It is used frequently by servants and lower ranked officials when addressing higher ranked individuals. It is originated from the Arabic word sahib, meaning friend.===

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agha

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahib

Known as a burqa in the Afghan culture. The veil is a headress worn by Muslim women in order to cover their extremities from other men. it is done ''in accordance with [|khimar] (the principle of dressing [|modestly])". In the Muslim it is considered a sin for a woman to bare any skin outside of the home. The Afghani culture is considered the most strict when it comes to women exposing their flesh. They are covered from head to toe in their burqas with a see-through fabric over their eyes so they can see. It is believed that a woman's body is only for their husband's eyes and if any man gets to see her flesh, he could be seduced and considered a sinner. When the Taliban came into power, they imposed a lot of rules on the treatment of women. They were forced to wear burqas in public and were not allowed to do everyday activities such as work. The Taliban "religious police" would even beat them in public if the women were caught doing anything innapropriate.

//Afghani women in burqas// [|**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil#Muslim_veils**]

**__Shirini-Khori__**
This is what Afghans call an engagement party. The candy and pastries eaten at the party are called the Shirini. Hence the name Shirini in Shirini-Khori. The engagement party usually takes place in the brides house but the engagement party can really be anywhere you wish. In the engagement party the couple has to be blessed by both parents. After the couple has been blessed they proceed to eat candy and pastries.for example they eat the sweet called zoolbiyah bamiye on the (left). The signification of all the sweets means happiness and joy being brought to the couples life. After the couple eating all the sweets the couple is officially engaged.