Invitation to dine showing the unique hospitality and festive culture of East Timor

East Timor is a vibrant country in Southeast Asia with many beautiful natural scenes, unique cuisine, and Portuguese-style architecture.

Besides, the unique culture with distinctive, diverse and rich features is also an important factor that helps East Timor create a strong attraction for many people.

1. Communication culture

The people of East Timor have a cheerful, curious and hospitable nature, they are a studious, sociable people who love to exchange and exchange cultures with countries around the world. According to East Timorese culture, when invited to a meal, guests usually eat with the head of the family, the wife and children will take care of the service and then eat later. As a courtesy, you should only take a small amount of food at first, and then ask for more. Doing this when you are invited to eat here will help you make a good impression on the host and make them happy that your guests like their food.

Handshakes are culturally emphasized here as a result of a Portuguese colonial era. Women usually kiss on the cheek or on the wind, usually on both cheeks. Greeting each other on the street is a respected culture. Always ask permission before taking pictures or videos of others, but generally Timorese are happy to be photographed. Let's say "Bele?" (meaning "Can I?" in Tetun) and you'll almost certainly get a smile and the answer "bele, bele" means "yes, yes", otherwise "Labele" means no and you are not allowed to take pictures. Timor Leste is a large, conservative traditional culture with strong Christian values. Elders, churches and leaders are highly respected. As a general rule, the first name is only used in close relationships, otherwise, only "Senhor" is used for men and "Senhora" for women.

2. Cuisine

Cuisine has long been considered by everyone as an important factor contributing to the uniqueness and characteristics of East Timorese culture. With a history of being colonized by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century and being invaded and occupied by Indonesia in 1975, the cuisine is strongly influenced by Southeast Asian cuisine as well as Vietnamese cuisine. Real Portuguese. The ingredients frequently used in the cuisine of this land can be mentioned as fish, pork, basil, tamarind, beans, rice, corn, vegetables and tropical vegetables such as mango. , jackfruit, durian.

In addition, East Timorese people often prepare dishes in two schools: vegetarian and savory. Vegetarian dishes with main ingredients such as sweet potatoes, corn, cassava and beans, and savory dishes with ingredients such as poultry, pork, goat meat, fish. The typical dishes that create the characteristics of East Timor are Tapai, Caril, Feijioada, Pastel de nata, Bibinka, Akar.

3. Religion

One of the typical features that bring uniqueness and character to East Timor's culture is religion. If Thailand is known as the land of the Golden Temple with a large number of people following Buddhism or Indonesia is famous for Islam, East Timor impresses everyone when it becomes the second country in Asia to have a 90% of Roman Catholics. The Catholic Church not only symbolizes East Timor's distinction from Indonesia's Muslim majority but also plays an important role in protest movements, represented by Nobel laureate Father Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo. Peace.

In addition to Catholicism, East Timor has other religions such as Islam, Protestantism, Hinduism and Buddhism, traditional animist beliefs. East Timor is not only a country famous for its natural landscapes with inherent natural beauty, wild but poetic, but the people of East Timor with their friendly and hospitable nature are also one of the factors. makes every tourist want to come back here. In addition, East Timor's culture is also considered to be extremely diverse, rich and unique.

4. Various festivals

This famous cultural festival in East Timor, held in early March, is also Southeast Asia's leading major culinary festival. During the festival, there are often other entertainment activities on the sidelines such as traditional dancing and other music and entertainment activities and most importantly, food activities during the duration of the festival. .

Independence Day is the most important holiday of East Timor because it is the day marking the transfer of sovereignty by the United Nations to this island nation. On this holiday, the whole country takes place a parade, along with activities at Mass.

The Peace Festival is held every June in the island nation. The festival is the place where the exhibition activities of the domestic specialized art world take place, especially related to dance. The meaning of this festival is for personal development to raise people's awareness to stay away from violence.

The festival is named after the highest mountain in the country. This is the time when the biggest cultural event is held in East Timor. The festival takes place in the Ainaro district and takes place every year in October. The main events of the festival include: Honoring Mount Ramelau dancing and singing on its own to an exhibition around the new symbol of East Timor tourism. This.

This annual festival is held in the capital Dili every February or March and is a fun festival filled with music and ethnicity. At the festival, there are often parades with traditional costumes mixed with modern ones showing the national spirit. Street bands stir up the bustling crowd.

5. Music and dance

Rock, hip-flop, rap and even reggae can all be heard in the modern Timorese music scene. The guitar is a popular instrument and if there are many garages there will also be many amateur bands (like garage bands), especially in Dili. Likurai is a Tetun dance used mainly to welcome warriors returning from war. The women danced with a small drum and circled the village where the heads of enemies taken in battle were displayed. Today, this dance is performed by unmarried women as a dance to find a mate. The Tebedai dance is a circle dance performed throughout Timor Leste and the dancers are accompanied by a drum.

The country has a strong tradition of poetry. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, for example, is a famous poet. In terms of architecture, there is some Portuguese architecture, along with traditional totem houses in the eastern region. They are called uma lulik (sacred houses) in Tetum, and lee teinu (houses with legs) at Fataluku. Crafts are also common, such as weaving traditional scarves or tais.

6. Other important holidays

National Youth Day, November 12 - The day that marks the anniversary of the Santa Cruz massacre that occurred in the capital, Dili in 1991. It was the day pro-independence protesters were massacred. by Indonesian military forces. National Heroes Day, timed on December 7th - This holiday honors many of the country's heroes in the struggle for independence and also commemorates the days of invasion in 1975 by the Indonesians .