To put everything into perspective, let me start out by saying I haven't experienced much of the other cultures besides my own. I have never traveled outside the United States; I don't even know what California looks like. But yes, I do know where Florida is. I am intrigued when hearing about other cultures, it fascinates me! People who on Long Island always get the stereotype, especially living in Smithtown, that we live in a "bubble." It really is true. Coming to Baruch is such a great experience, learning about other cultures and the different traditions they share. I had never known that Baruch College was the most diverse College in the country.
A little about myself. I am Italian, German, and a little Irish (a little lucky). My family and I share various traditions which we have followed for as long as I can remember. For example, every Christmas Eve my Grandparents prepare a huge Italian feast with all types of fish, macaroni, and garlic bread. My Grandma starts preparing for this meal the day after Thanksgiving Day, it takes that much preparation. She makes this seafood salad which is "to die for," or so they tell me; I never have the guts to try it. Maybe this year I will. It's one of the best times during the holidays, I get to see parts of my family who I don't see all year. It's a nice time that brings everyone together. So that covers the Italian side of my family.
As far as the German side of my family goes, every New Year's Day we have potato balls and sauerbraten. It's something you just have to experience. So much food! Every year my Grandma says a prayer before the meal. Everyone has a few potato balls and they're stuffed! We then proceed to have "leftovers" for the next month and everyone is happy. It's the best way to start off the New Year.
In my culture we value Family before anything else. We always will be there for each other. Family is very important to me.
I always wondered how people who are a mix of different cultures like you think/act/live. It's really nice to hear your perspective on how you experience all those cultures at once! It's extremely fascinating to me :) I am pretty much a multicultural person too since I am Korean who was born at a South American country then moved to U.S 7 years ago.. Although I appear looking Asian, I dont think I am fully Korean because of my life background. I am jealous how you can get a taste of three different cultures throughout an year.. I dont really get to do that. Anyways, very interesting story!
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's such a great story! We are lucky guys, I also grew up in two cultures Russian and Jewish. I remember that when I was young it was so hard for me to explain to my Russian friends why I celebrated so many different holidays per year (they were always envy because I had !2! New Years per 1 year). I think, this experience taught me to be more tolerant towards other cultures. And I agree with you that it brought such a wonderful sense of warm family ties!
ReplyDeleteI think food is a very big difference among cultures. I love trying food from various parts of the world. The reason why certain cultures prepare different dishes always has a history behind it, and I find that very interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read about how you guys meet for Christmas and have a big meal, I thought that was cool. Some of my Italian friends would tell me about how they prepare for a HUGE meal and basically spend the day eating, sleeping, eating, and just relaxing the whole time. I also haven't experienced many cultures but I can relate to this type of feast. I think there's a big feast like this in every culture, in some day of the year. But since I don't have all my family members in America, we don't really do that anymore. So, I am jealous! Have a happy meal bro!
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting how food is so different from culture to culture and how food etiquette also varies...like eating with your hands, eating even if you're not hungry etc. Thanks for sharing your story!
ReplyDeleteWell it was very interesting to know all the foods that you guys prepare in the holiday like Christmas Eve and thanksgiving. It must be so delicious even though i never had the opportunity to try any of these desh. I found a kind of similarity when you state "Every year my Grandma says a prayer before the meal" well as a Muslim that is what we do before every meal we eat; Even though the prayer is different than yours. Now I know a little bit about your culture and want to know more about it. i am curious what else do you do beside eating all thse delicious meal with family friends?
ReplyDeleteI find it very interesting of how your family comes together and how food is bonds your family together. I come from a family of Chinese decent so Christmas and New Years is really nothing special, except just another day on the calendar. It was not until I went to Catholic school for seven years of my life until I realized the traditions of Christmas and New Years.
ReplyDeleteI liked that you mention family value, because it’s the same in my family. Family pretty much comes first before anything else besides breathing. I'm the youngest of ten siblings, and it was a blast growing up with everyone always around. We are always there for each other, and we're always getting together for the holidays.
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