It is not an accident that the first dialogue of your local language lessons begins with greetings, for greetings are a most essential aspect of Gambian culture. Many foreigners who have lived in a village can attest to the amount of time spent going through the greetings when one Gambian meets another during the day. The exchange of greetings is the key to successful interaction with Gambians at every level, whether in the market, on the street, in the office, or over the telephone. People are taken aback if you do not greet first before beginning a conversation even if you just want to ask a question. Greeting serves as an icebreaker and will make the person you greet feel better disposed toward you. Greeting in a local language is recommended (salaam alekum), but an English “Hello” will do. For foreigners, these greetings may seem a meaningless waste of time because they are always the same and quite lengthy. You may also be baffled to see a Gambian doing something you consider “really important” stop everything to spend ten minutes greeting a friend he has seen just hours ago. But once again it is because greeting acknowledges the existence of another human being and taking the time to relate to him or her in a personal way is a priority in Gambian society which helps achieve the goal of harmony and peace in the community. Every member of the community is expected to greet every other member of the community regardless of status or wealth. Indeed, the greetings are a way for the Gambian to show respect for every member of the community whether they are rich or poor, noble or of slave origin, because every member has an important role to fulfill. Shaking hands is also a part of the greeting process. People shake hands as often as they see each other during different times of the day. Women, especially in villages, are not normally expected to shake hands when greeting. When greeting a group of people or someone from a distance, raising clasped hands will take the place of a handshake. When one is working or eating, the arm may be offered instead. Gambians follow a certain protocol for greeting elders: a younger person greets an elder first and avoids direct eye contact. Also, physical affection for a loved one or emotion in general is not openly shown in public. Note that in shaking hands the right hand is used. The left hand denotes something else and is explained elsewhere.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 16:41:43 +0000