applynow

Senegal Lifestyle and Culture

Find Programs
(Bachelor's, Master's & PhD)

Senegal is a diverse country in terms of religion, culture, languages, and even ethnicities. It is a very colorful country worth visiting and studying in. it is home to diverse people who create the richness of Senegal.

Religion

Senegal is a predominantly Islam country with Sufi and Sunni Muslim groups contributing a combined 95.9% and only about 4.1% Christians, with Roman Catholicism being the most popular. It is a very tolerant nation concerning religion. This is reflected by the fact that although it is a predominantly Muslim state, the government officially celebrates both Muslim and Christian events and holidays and the citizens live in harmony.

Food and cuisine

Senegal's cuisines and the food reflects a lot of French, Portuguese, and traditional North African influences. Ingredients include chicken, beef, lamb, eggs, rice, lentils, sweet potatoes, and peas. Common dishes include couscous, bread served with vegetables or meat, coffee, teas, fresh fruit juices. Thieboudienne is a traditional Senegalese dish that is made from fish, rice, and tomato sauce.

Clothing.

In the traditional Senegalese setting, the people wear the boubous which is a loose-fitting tunic with wide openings under the arms. This I usually embroidered or plain white depending on the occasion. In urban settings or towns, however, people can wear western-style clothing.

 Music

Music is Africa’s major unifier and is an integral part of the African way of life. The most popular music genre is Mbalax, which is a fusion of jazz, soul, rock, and rhumba with the traditional Wolof music. Music type however differs from ethnic group to ethnic group. Different kinds of music are performed at weddings, funerals, religious ceremonies, and public gatherings.

 Art.

Art is a vital component of African society. Senegalese nationals are very skilled in different forms of art including basket weaving, wood carving, textiles, paintings, mask making, traditional jewelry making, and beading.

 Sport

The Senegalese like most West African countries are great footballing nations and revel in soccer. The national soccer team is known as the Lions of Teranga and is one of the powerhouses of African football. The team became runners up at the 2002 Africa cup of nations and one of the very few African countries to have reached the quarter-final stage of the FIFA World Cup. Another sporting code in Senegal is basketball and the team is one of the best in Africa. The traditional sport includes wrestling where young boys in the village wrestle to decide who the best in the village is.

 

" Its a place to be" - Martin from Canada

How RocApply Works