Free Time In Germany And Bangladesh Cultural Studies Essay

Free time is the time when people have nothing specific to do, when they can dispose of their spare time at their own sweet will. Not only the people are free from work, they are with an unoccupied mind. The necessity for having a rest from work and worry cannot be too much stressed. People’s life is usually bound by routine; free time affords an opportunity to escape out of the compulsions of routine and breathe the fresh air of freedom. Free time perhaps is the very essence of life. People don’t live to create work but to enjoy free time. Free time as the most priceless thing a people can have. To them the only object of work is to obtain free time. I am going to compare and contrast free time in Germany and Bangladesh.

Description:

Focusing the two countries:

In Germany people spend their free time watching soccer, they practice a lot of sport, passing their time with outdoor activities, otherwise, they’re busy with their pets (especially dogs), they spend the weekend visiting their relatives living in another city, they throw out barbecue parties, and they have spectacular brunch Sunday. They have 6 hour 34 minute free time in every 24 hour according to their national survey (OECD)

In Bangladesh people don’t have that much free time like the other Europeans countries. They usually spend their free time watching TV, visiting relative’s house. Younger people plays cricket. Now day’s young people love internet a lot, they likes to go out with their friend. Most of the women usually stay home in their free time.

Watching TV in free time:

In Germany not many people watch TV on their free time. According to their national survey (OECD) only 28 percent people spend their free time by watching TV or listening radio. Because of German soccer league on TV the percentage goes bit higher otherwise I could’ve been much lower. Another reason behind that they don’t like to stay at home on their free time, in summer they like outdoor sport or traveling. In winter they love to spend their free time in coffee shop or bar or they go out for ice skating. [Ref: http://www.n24.de/news/newsitem_5027850.html]

As for Bangladesh concern, watching TV is one of the best ways to spend free time. They haven’t done any national survey to say the percentage of it, but because Bangladesh is a Muslim country, woman doesn’t go outside that often like German women. So the large number of Bangladeshi women spending their free time by watching TV. It’s not only the woman, the man also like to watch TV especially live sports (cricket). It is the most popular sport in Bangladesh.

So we can tell now, both country loves to see sports on TV in their free time. But they watch different kind of sport.

Traditional free times:

Germany people celebrated a large number of traditional festivals in big way. Christmas, Fasching, Easter, Oktoberfest and Love parade are some of their traditional festivals. This is also count as their free time. The biggest free time they have is summer holiday, school kids have more than month break. The people can take also a month break, because they can have one month break in whole year. And they usually take it in summer. They like to travel with their family. Christmas is also their favorite free time. The month of December they have lots of free time, this month they get extra bonus salary. They spend their free time in this month by shopping and they often go restaurant to eat. And this month consider fun in Germany. Everyone is happy; especially children have lots of fun.

Bangladesh people have lots of fixed public holiday called New Year’s Day, International Mother Language Day, Independence Day, Bengali Solar New Year, Labor Day, National Mourning Day, National Revolution Day, Victory Day, Christmas Day .There are also lots of religious holiday, especially they have two big religious holiday which they consider the best free time. Although it’s Muslim fest, but because Bangladesh is a Muslim country they enjoy that time. This two religious holiday called Eid Al Adha and Eid Al Fitr. In this two occasions people goes for shopping. It’s the happiest free time for Bangladeshi people. [Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Bangladesh]

Both countries are different as religious point of view and cultural view. As for international holiday both countries people have same free time, but they spend it different way. Cultural and religious way they both have different holiday which they call free time.

New Year celebration:

The people in Germany celebrate New Year on the night of December 31st to January 1st. The people in Germany regard the New Year to be a major celebration. As a salute to the New Year celebrations the people in Germany light up fireworks. The New Year is called Neujahr and is observed as a public holiday in Germany. The customs in Germany play a significant role in the New Year celebrations. The New Year is a time to celebrate, enjoy and have fun. It’s also their free time activities. [Ref: http://www.123newyear.com/newyear-customs/new-year-customs-germany.html]

[Ref: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/germany/new-year-day]

Bengali New Year (Bengali Noboborsho) or (Pohela Boishakh) is the first day of the Bengali calendar, celebrated in Bangladesh. It coincides with the New Year’s Days of numerous Southern Asian calendars.

Poila Boishakh connects all ethnic Bengalis irrespective of religious and regional differences. In Bangladesh, it is a national holiday celebrated around 14 April according to the official amended calendar designed by the Bangla Academy. They enjoy their free time in that day very much. [Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pohela_Boishakh]

Free time in students view:

In between study every students have their free time. German students love to attend their free time on sports. They like to play outdoor sports like soccer, ice skating, Basketball and indoor sports like Bowling, pool etc. In long holiday they love to go for study tour. They visit some other country university for attending two or three class. To improve their educational knowledge skills. This is really very nice things to do because students get opportunity to see the other country education system. It’s a part of their education system, teacher also go with them.

Bangladeshi students have also got study tour on their free time. They usually visit Historical places. Teachers also join them, to managing and telling them about the places. Bangladeshi students also go in cox’s bazaar [largest sea beach in the world] sudorbon [largest mangrove forest in the world]. They have some national holiday called pohela boisakh, which is one of the biggest cultural fest they have. All the school, college, university arranged program for students where they celebrate. 21st February is international mother language day, Bangladesh celebrate this day more than any other country do, because of the blooded history behind of their mother language 1952. This day the whole country and the students doing lots of program to shown their love and respect to the Martyr. This is also their free time activities.

One country fun differs in the other country:

Oktoberfest – is one of the popular fest in Germany. It’s a part of German culture; it’s to drink bear (alcohol). German people often drink alcohol in their free time. Bar, pub, disco, night club it’s all part of spending free times for fun. They drink alcohol, if they have free time. Young people in Germany like to go in disco at night. It’s obviously if they have free time. They have spectacular brunch Sunday; they enjoy it with their family. Weekend free time comes to end Sunday.

Bangladesh is an Islamic country. Islamic law forbids the drinking of alcohol. Under Islamic law, drinking alcohol is classified as a serious or “Hadd” crime. Drinking in Bangladesh is also illegal. Although they have some bar where people can go to spend their free time and drinking. But it stills not that easiest like in Germany.

In free time, drinking is normal in Germany. Its may be fun for them but it’s completely different case in Bangladesh.

Conclusion:

Bangladesh and Germany both country have some little things similar. Maximum way of spending free time is completely different. But the bottom line about free time in both the countries to occupied the time well, not to wasting it unnecessary. Because time as tide waits for none. And there are some ways, where German people find it as fun. But the same thing doesn’t make any fun to Bangladeshi people. They find it unnecessary and against their religious thought. But still both have their own way to spending free times. And free times are all about relaxed from the stressful life. Because life is not only about work, it’s to live also.

References & Bibliographies: page viewed in date: 1st may 2011

http://www.holidayshub.com/holiday-traditions/german.html

http://www.n24.de/news/newsitem_5027850.html

http://www.bangladesh.com/national-holidays/

http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bangladesh.html

http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/schoolholidays.html

http://www.ehow.com/list_7372498_islamic-laws-foreign-businesswomen.html

http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country_studies/bangladesh/SOCIETY.html

http://www.123newyear.com/newyear-customs/new-year-customs-germany.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pohela_Boishakh

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/germany/new-year-day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Bangladesh