Origin of the Maldives is lost in antiquity, but history reveals that the islands have been inhabited for over 3000 years. Maldives has a proud and rich culture evolved from the first settlers who were from various parts of the world, travelling the seas in ancient times. Maldives has from time immemorial been a melting pot of different cultures as people from different parts of the world came here and settled down. The early settlers here were travelers on the Silk route and from the Indus Valley civilization. Maldivians are a warm, friendly and hospitable race and make visitors feel comfortable and at home.
Maldives has a very strong and adaptive culture with prevalent contemporary Divehi undertones. The culture has withstood foreign influences from Hindi movies and Oriental martial arts to Michael Jackson and Muslim fundamentalism. The old and the new co-exist in perfect harmony here. So you could hear Michael Jackson blaring out of speakers at street corners, hear the latest Hindi movie numbers across the street and at the same time see examples of Muslim fundamentalism. Western fashions are as visible as the Divehi touch.
Over the years Maldives has been greatly influenced by various cultures and by the various settlers who have made Maldives their home. Some of the local music and dance for instance bear a strong resemblance to African music, with handbeating of drums and songs in a language that is not known to any but certainly represents that of East African countries. South Asia also makes its presence felt here especially in the traditional food of the Maldivians.
At the same time Maldives has shunned many South Asian customs especially with regard to women - for instance the sub-continent's tradition of secluding women from public view - are not followed here. In fact women enjoy a great degree of independence and play a major role in society. More often than not they run the household single-handedly, considering the fact that men spend the whole day out at sea, fishing. Maldivian culture, in fact, revolves around the sea as life on this island country is dependent on the seas.
The primary religion of Maldives is Islam and all Maldivians are Sunni Muslims. No other religions are allowed. Inspite of all the modernization, ancient beliefs still prevail strongly. Islanders still fear jinnis - evil spirits which come from the sea, land and sky. For every supernatural event that cannot be explained by religion or science, the buck is conveniently passed on to the evil jinnis.
An everyday meal of Maldivians consists of fish and rice and on special occasion's meat and chicken too. Since it is an island nation, fish features prominently in their menu. Fried fish, fish curry, fish soup... fish is cooked here in every way conceivable. Alcohol is only available in tourist resorts. The local brew is raa, sweet and delicious toddy tapped from the crown of the palm trunk. Though there is a profusion of coconuts on this island, other fruits and vegetables are conspicuous by their absence. Since very few fruits and vegetables are grown on the islands, most of the food served at tourist resorts is imported.
Events
Most holidays in Maldives are based on the Islamic lunar calendar and the dates vary from year to year. The most important religious event of the year is Ramadan (locally known as rorda mas), the Islamic month of feasting. Other important days to keep in mind are Kuda Id, the sighting of the new moon (celebrated at the end of Ramadan), and the Prophet's Birthday, which honours the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.
Fixed holiday dates include: National Day (the day Mohammed Thakurufaan and his men overthrew the Portuguese on Malé in 1573; the first day of the third month of the lunar calendar); Victory Day (victory over Sri Lankan mercenaries who tried to overthrow the Maldivian government in 3 November 1988); and Republic Day (which commemorates the current republic, founded in 11 November 1968)..
