Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit – Jawaharlal Nehru
Life would be pretty boring without cultures and traditions, wouldn’t it? They influence the music we listen to, the food we eat, our interests and even our values and views on life itself.
One of the earliest memories of my childhood goes back all the way to when I was probably five or six and my mom took me to a Christmas party to meet with Santa Claus who was handing out presents. When it came time for me to go meet him, I remember holding onto my mom really tight and asking her how he knew exactly what I wanted as a gift. I distinctly recall her sweet smile as she said since he was Santa Claus, he knew exactly what was on my mind. I was thrilled to bits when he asked me my name and what I wanted for Christmas. He then picked up a gift from a pile next to his feet and handled it to me.
Just imagine my surprise when I opened it up and found the board game I had wanted all year. I knew then that the magic of Santa Claus was real and something every 5-year-old needed to remember!
Of course, many years later, I understood the truth as told to me by my older sister who always made it a point to always give me a dose of reality the harshest way possible…. isn’t that what older siblings always do.
But I don’t think I was really mad because for many years my mom kept up the tradition of taking me to see Santa Claus and somehow managing to give me exactly what I wanted…thanks to my mom’s rad shopping skills, of course. Now mind you, I am actually a Hindu and Christmas isn’t really a cultural celebration for us. But that tradition meant more to me in all of my childhood years and beyond, probably more than other cultural celebrations simply because of how and who I celebrated it with.
Now we all have our own traditions, right? Be it cultural or even something just done by our families, they both mean similar things. In my mind, cultures and traditions takes a look at how people interact – as a society and with each other. These two concepts are interconnected and separate at the same time.
So Season 04 of CulturallyOurs explores global cultures and traditions – some well known and others not so much – as a way to get further insight into the lifestyles of people around the world. How they live and how they interact with each other and society as a whole. I have to admit this might just be one of my favorite seasons ever because not only do I get to share those special moments and memories with you all but also get to hear and listen to your stories – your memories, your cultural experiences and your traditions.
Like I have always said, pull up a chair and lean in with an open mind for a listen.
Welcome to Season 04 – Global cultures and traditions from around the world.
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