Society & family

Islam governs much of people’s personal, political, economic and legal lives. Many pray five times a day; at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening. Friday is the Muslim holy day – most shops and offices are closed. Many government offices and business close on Fridays, making the weekend Friday and Saturday.

The family is very important in Afghan culture. Men and women’s roles are well defined: women are generally responsible for household duties, and men are mainly the financial providers. In cities, professional women are more common. Families tend to arrange marriages for their children. When a son gets married, he and his wife begin their married lives in a room under the same roof as his family. Family is headed by the oldest man, whose word is usually law for the whole family.

Family honour, pride and respect towards other members are highly prized qualities. The national pastime is Buzkashi involving two competing teams on horseback. Kite-fighting and kite-running are popular sports for children involving flying kites, cutting them loose and racing to retrieve them. And if Afghans fancy something a bit more aggressive dog fighting (believe it or not) is also a major pastime in Afghanistan.