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 Creole, Suriname
Because of the Dutch influence in Suriname there are Hindu, Creoles, Chinese and Javanese in Suriname. These diverse communities make the country an attractive cultural holiday destination. All these different communities life in peace next to each other. In addition, marriages between the groups are very customary. The children who originate from such commitments are called 'Moksi'. When they carry more cultures, they are seen as the future Surinams.
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Do's and Don'ts
| Service | The service in Surinam might be different from what you expect. The reason for this lies in the history of cultural slavery heritage of Suriname; since the abolition of slavery there is no need to serve others anymore, they believe. | | Preferences | Many Surinam people use friends, family or people they know to get a preferential treatment. | | Hospitality | Suriname is known as a hospitable country where people invite you for a visit at their home, where the doors are always open. Guests do not need to make an appointment, they can come by whenever they want. | | Shoes | Surinam people do not wear shoes at home; shoes are to wear on the streets but at home people are walking around on their bare feet or sandals. When you are invited at someone's home, do not forget to take off your shoes at the door. | | Greeting | The normal way to greet somebody is with a handshake, good friends hug each other. Nowadays people also kiss three times on the cheeks when they meet. | | Bargaining | In Suriname it is not common to bargain, only at markets | | Clothes | People from Surinam like to dress up for special occasions. When you are visiting somebody, or if you go out, people like it when you are dressed properly. The Surinam people almost never think that others are overdressed. | | Taking pictures | The inhabitants of the inlands do not appreciate it when you take a picture of them without asking. They believe that taking a picture takes away a part of their soul. So never take a picture of the locals without asking permission. It is also possible that you need to pay for taking their picture. | | Food | The Surinam cuisine itself is a good reason to visit the country! The exotic dishes have African, Chinese, Indonesian, Indian and Dutch influences. Thanks to the differerent inhabitants (and their cultures) of Surinam they combined their meals and ingredients, which leaded to new Surinam dishes like Roti and Moksi Metie (mixed meat). Preparing Surinam food is like real art. Surinam women do not have special recipes on paper on in books, but cook by head. The artistic way of cooking is taught by the mother to her daughter and son! |
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 Hindu girl in Suriname
A divers population like in Suriname also results in various religions. Most important religions are Christianity, Hinduism, the Islam and Winti. In heart Paramaribo, a mosque and a Jewish synagogue are standing next to each other. No where else in the world these two different religious chapels can stand so peaceful next to each other.
The Creoles are generally Christian, and many are also interested in Winti. With Winti, the minds of the ancestors and the gods play an important role. Many customs and rituals are practised and these serve and satisfy the gods and the minds of their ancestors. The Creoles believe that the consequences of neglecting the Winti are illness and death.
The majority of the Hinduists are Hindu, the rest is Muslim or Christian.
The vast majority of all Javanese are Muslim, only a small part is Christian.
The Indians got familiar with Christianity through the Dutch missionaries, a small part has their own traditional religion.
The local inhabitants of Surinam, the Negro's, are partly Christian and partly have their own traditional African religion.
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Cultural attractions
| Date | Event | | February | The Surinam people celebrate Carnival at the 'Kleine Waterstraat' in Paramaribo | | March | Every year around easter there is 'four days of walk' in the capital city. There are beautiful parades through the streets of Paramaribo for four days. | | 1 May | On the first of May, Labour Day, many activities are organised in the area of the Waterfrom and Palmgarden in Paramaribo. | | May/June | The 'Open Student Song Festival' takes place in Paramaribo in May/June. | | 1 July | On July first 'Keti Koti' is celebrated in Surinam, which means 'Day of Freedom'. Throughout the whole country many activities take place; places to eat can be found everywhere, and there is dancing on different places where dj's play their music. | | 25 November | Independence day; on this day different activities are taking place. |
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