Pakistan
Celebrations
Eid-Ul-Fitr
Eid ul Fitr (small Eid) is one of the two biggest festivities in Islam. It's celebrated at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. It's usually a 2-3-day festivity. On the first day in the morning, the men go to the Mosque and pray. After that, there is a huge breakfast with the entire family. During the Eid days families dress up, visit each other and eat together.
Eid-Al-Adha
Eid al Adha (big Eid) is the biggest festivity in Islam. It's also 2-3 days long and for this festivity, an animal is usually sacrificed in every family. This sacrifice is a reminder of Abraham who was willing to sacrifice his son for God but in the end, God gave him mercy and instead of sacrificing his son, he sacrificed an animal. Animals who are sacrificed are usually goats, cows, camels, etc. I didn’t spend this festivity with Pakistanis because I am not used to this tradition.
Independence Day on 14th of August
The 14th of August is Pakistan’s Independence Day. Therefore everything is decorated in green (the color of Pakistan’s flag), and people drive around the city with the flags and gather with their friends.
Desi Marriages
Watch my Wedding VLOGs and experience a Pakistani Wedding!
Marriages are a huge festivity in Pakistan (also India and Bangladesh as they are celebrated in a similar way). The festivity in Pakistan usually takes 3 days.
The first day is a ceremony for the bride. All her family and friends gather, there are dances and music and they perform Mehendi (Henna) on the bride's hands and feet.
The second day is the day when the bride leaves the house with her husband. Usually, her husband and his family come to pick up the bride at home which is called Bharat. Normally the husband and wife sign the Nikka (Islamic marriage contract) on that day as well if they haven't done it before. After that, the bride leaves the family which is called Rukhsati. Her entire family is very sad because they have to let go of her.
On the third day, there is a dinner usually hosted by the groom called Walima where everyone dresses up, eats, and talks.
There are also other Wedding ceremonies including Manyun (the Haldi ceremony) where the bride (and the groom) are blessed with a turmeric paste or Dholki which is a Punjabi dance evening with drums.
Qawali
Qawalis are not really celebrations but they are often used for celebrations including marriages. Qawali is a music style with Sufi songs and is very important in Pakistan. These songs are usually performed by a group playing instruments and singing as well. I love Qawalis.
Food
Pakistani food is similar to Indian food. A typical Pakistani meal consists of meat accompanied by rice or bread (Roti, Chapati, and Naan). Roti and Chapati are big and thin tortillas, Naan is thick bread. Usually, meals also come with salad and Raita (some kind of yogurt sauce).
Watch my VLOG on Pakistani food and snacks
Typical Breakfast: Halwa Puri
The typical Pakistani breakfast is Halwa Puri. Puris are some kind of fried pieces of bread and they are accompanied by potatoes and chickpeas. Halwa is a sweet dish that you can also put on your Puri. Lassi is a drink made out of yogurt and butter. It's served cold and it is delicious.
Another typical breakfast: Nihari
Another typical breakfast is Nihari. Nihari means morning. Usually, it's made from beef meat but it can also be chicken. You eat it with Roti or Chapati or Naan.
Biryani And Pulao
The most famous dishes for lunch or dinner are Biryani and Pulao – different types of rice. Biryani is rice with a lot of spices that derives from the regions near India. Pulao is less spicy and comes from the regions in the North near Afghanistan.
Chicken: Butter Chicken, Chicken Karahi, Chicken Tikka
Pakistanis love chicken. There are many different ways to cook it. There is chicken Tikka, butter chicken (which is delicious), and Chicken Karahi (Curry with chicken).
Kebabs: Chapli and SeeKh, Shami
There is also other meat such as Kebabs. And there are different types of Kebabs, for example Chapli Kebab, Shami kebab, and Seekh Kebab.
Pulses: Daal, Daal Mash, Chana, Haleem, Lobia
If you are a vegetarian then you can eat pulses in Pakistan. They have so much variety! There is Daal (lentils), Chana (chickpeas), and Lobia (Kidney beans) and you can even mix them, like Daal Chana (Lentils and chickpeas). A very special dish is Haleem – a mixture of all different pulses. So delicious!
Other Vegetarian Dishes: Aloo Anda, Palak Paneer
Aloo Anda is one of my favorite dishes. It consists of potatoes and egg with sauce and usually, it's eaten with Roti or Chapati. Same thing for Palak Paneer. This is spinach with cheese. It's also accompanied by Roti or Chapati.
Pakore and Samosas
Pakore and Samosas are snacks. They are filled with potatoes or meat and are usually accompanied by a sauce – yogurt sauce or spicy sauce.
Gol Gappe
Gol Gappe is one of the most known street snacks in Pakistan. They are made from small Puris which are filled with chutney, chilly, masala, potatoes, and onion. They are also accompanied by a very watery sauce for dipping.
Chaats: Chana, Samosa, Papri, Aloo, Dehi Ballay
Chaats are some kind of salad and they are amazing! I used to eat them every day. They are usually made from Chana (chickpeas), Samosa, Papri (crispy things), Aloo (potatoes), etc. They all have yogurt dressing and some toppings like onions or cucumber.
Parathas: Aloo, Aloo Cheese, Ande
Parathas are oily tortillas filled with different things like potatoes, eggs, cheese, minced meat, etc. Usually, Parathas are eaten in the morning as they are very oily but you can also eat them as a snack.
Kulfi
Kulfi is some kind of milky ice cream especially eaten during summer.
Jalebi
I LOVE Jalebi. You can find it on the streets. I don’t know exactly how they make it but it’s for sure my favorite Pakistani sweet.
Chai
Pakistanis LOVE chai and usually drink it from morning to evening – for breakfast or after food as some kind of dessert. There are many different kinds of Chai. My favorite one is Tandoori Chai.
Check out my travel guide for Pakistan.