Bhutan Tradition & Culture

Bhutanese traditional culture is one of the distinctive one in the world. The unique culture is means of protecting the sovereignty of the nation; hence, with the fact that Bhutan is a tiny country with a small population, the preserving of tradition and culture in this kingdom is a must. The specialty of the Bhutan traditional and culture exists in every single day of the Bhutanese people. The category below will give you an overview of some of several traditional and cultural information of this kingdom that you have to know about before planning your own Bhutan trip.

The Bhutanese Birth

Birth of a newborn baby is always celebrated in Bhutan and is welcomed without any gender discrimination. Mothers are very well taken care of after giving birth to their children. The outsiders will not visit the child and mother, or offer them gifts including clothes, money, and dairy products until the next three days when the child was blessed in a small purification ritual. The newborn babies will not be named immediately. Instead, they are given names within three days by a lama or a well-known monastery which their parents visit. Their horoscopes are established by the local astrologer.

The Bhutan Marriage

Marriage in Bhutan is so simple that both bride and groom just have to perform a number of traditional rituals, then they are officially become, husband and wife. Cash and gold are familiar gifts from parents, relatives, and friends that are given to the newlywed couple at the end of the wedding ceremony. In eastern Bhutan, getting marriage among relatives is very common. Divorce in Bhutanese society is accepted without any disgrace or shame as the husband and wife can freely go with their new partners after divorce.

Bhutan Funeral

Bhutanese people believe that death is the route to pass on to another life; hence, to ensure that the deceased person will get a good rebirth, many rituals are performed to help the departed soul. Rituals are performed on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 49th day of death. Normally, the dead body is cremated only on a suitable day followed by the astrologer before the 7th-day ritual; however, in southern Bhutan, the dead body is buried while in some of the brokpas of eastern Bhutan tend to chop off the dead body then feed vultures. A lot of rituals are performed on every death anniversary of the deceased person. Family, relatives of the deceased person, and people come to the ceremony with rice, alcohol and other items.

Bhutanese Dress

In Bhutan, the dress that men wear is called Gho reaching up to their knees while the other that women wear is known as Kira reaching up to their ankles. Wearing scarves is the must among the Bhutanese culture whenever they visit religious places like Dzong and administrative places. Men wear a scarf called Kabney while Rachu is the scarf that women wear.

Eating Habit of Bhutanese People

The authentical Bhutanese people eat with hands. The family members sit on the floor in a circle with their legs crossed on the wooden floors while the mother serves the food. However, in the modern age, the locals in urban areas tend to use forks and spoons in their meals and sit on dining tables. The traditional dishes play an important role in the Bhutanese people’s meals as they usually consist of red rice, ema datshi (a dish made of chilly and cheese), pork, or beef.

Traditional Festivals in Bhutan

Tshechu is one of the most vibrant festivals in Bhutan which is celebrated in all Dzongs and in many monasteries and temples across the country. The tshechu festival is also known as a mask dance festival, organized to commemorate the events in saint Guru Rinpoche’s life, the second Buddha in Bhutan. On the three days of tshechu festival, people from all walks of life share their meals together including from rice, ema datshi, and traditional wine Ara.

National Sport - Archery in Bhutan

Archery is the most popular, most played, most competitive sport in Bhutan; hence, it becomes the national sport of the Kingdom. Players will divide into two teams wearing the traditional dress then try to shoot the arrows at the wooden bullseye target. Whenever a team member hits the target, the other team will sing and dance to praise.

Bhutanese Language

With over eighteen dialects spoken all over the country, Bhutan is known as a linguistically rich nation. Dzongkha is the national language of the kingdom spoken in Dzongs and administrative centers of Bhutan. There are two major languages including Tshalakha, the native language of the Tshalas of eastern Bhutan and Lhotshamkha, the native language of southern people who come from Nepal.