The upper class and city dwellers tend to wear European style clothing. Green tea is served with most meals. Bread is a staple food, and the Tajik bake bread out of anything that can be ground into flour, including a variety of peas and mulberries. They also eat starchy foods, rice, grapes, dried fruits, chicken, lamb, and vegetable dishes. Tajik society is patriarchal, meaning that the authority belongs to the oldest males of the extended family.
Inheritance is passed down through the males.
After marriage, a new bride moves in with the husband's family. Traditionally, marriages were arranged by the family. Today, however, most Tajik are free to choose who they will marry. Villages and communities are ruled by a majlis , or council, made up of the male leaders of prominent families. A chief is elected from among them.