Traditions That Represent American Culture

Culture is a very vital part of the world as we know it today. There are very many different cultures all around the world. In the USA, we have a mix of all the different cultures and and family values. From the original Native Americans that inhabited America to the Middle Eastern people in Afghanistan. These people groups have brought their language, food, values, and customs with them.

My family culture has been a big part of my life even through the changes my life has taken. Every year, my family celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas. The locations and the faces may change, but the ritual of spending the holidays together remain a highlight of the year. Since living in Indiana, I have spent Thanksgiving with my father’s family in Spencer and have traveled back home to Delaware to be with my immediate family during Christmas. This has been a routine of mine for the past several years and it has allowed me to grow closer with family members I used to never see.

In many ways current American cultural beliefs and norms related to gatherings and traditions are similar to those of non-industrialized societies. Examples of family gatherings that we in our American society share include; Thanksgiving, Super bowl parties, and Christmas dinner. Christmas dinner however is based on religious beliefs so we will leave it out of this discussion for the purpose of in composing all American citizens in the discussion.

American culture is a nontraditional and individualism culture. Americans are open to new principles, ideas, and practices. Many Americans are also more concerned about themselves and their immediate family and friends. Music and television exhibit aspects of both the nontraditional and individualism culture. The focus of American culture is technology, consumers, capitalism, sports, and politics. Almost everything in America revolves around technology, such as cell phones, computers, TV, social media, video games, etc. Money seems to play a major role. Wealth is an achievement everyone wants to have, living the American dream is getting rich. Advertisements constantly convince consumers to buy products (even products they don’t necessarily

As Americans we do not realize how high maintenance we are. If I am at a restaurant and my food comes out wrong I am immediately going to tell my server. Some may even rudely confront them without hesitation. In Honduras, this situation would be handled differently. Most Hondurans are not worried about going out to dinner, they are more concerned about whether or not they will have a single meal a day.

Between 40,000 and 12,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers migrated from Asia to the Americas. They began migrating all over the americas. The North American cultures were less developed than those in South America and Mesoamerica, but the people of North America did establish complex societies. Some of these societies were able to organize long-distance trade and create magnificent buildings. The land from Oregon to Alaska was rich in resources. The most prime of these resources was the sea. Some tribes hunted whales using 15 person canoes. As well as the sea, the coastal forest also provided many different foods. In some coastal tribes families showed their wealth by hosting elaborate ceremonies called potlatch. In the ceremony the host family would give food, drink, and gifts to

The American and Mexican cultures celebrate May 5th with festivities, food, and drinks. One might wonder, why we celebrate this day. Well, May 5th, otherwise known as Cinco de Mayo in Spanish, commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over France in the Battle of Puebla during the French-Mexican war in the 1800’s. While this culture tradition has been adopted and popularized in America, it is still celebrated in Mexico. The day is spent with festivities, food, and drinks. In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is mostly celebrated in Puebla; however, there are other parts of Mexico who celebrate as well.

From the moment were born we are taught customs & traditions. We grow up following them, never once questioning them. As we believe it’s normal to act/do the things that our ancestors have done. They become ingrained into us, acting similar to how we breathe. We become so used to it, that we don’t think about it. Though just because our parents & their parents & so on, repeated this custom/tradition doesn’t make it right.

Some common features of North American Indian culture are the food eaten, the clothes worn, the ideas worshipped and the outlook on life. Native American’s from this time period hunted for their food, so, they wouldn’t have varied too much in their diets. Also, in this time period, the Native Americans were considered family to each other, so the style of clothes they wore would’ve been similar to one another. Another thing that made their culture similar was their outlook on life. When researching their culture, I was brought to a handful of websites that told about their beliefs and how they celebrated their Gods.

India, or more specifically the Republic of India, is the second highest populated country in the world and holds an incredibly diverse amount of people. It is almost impossible to describe in detail the basis of the culture in India, because India itself is so diverse. It has been called a “mixing pot” of culture and religion, and represented by “the plurality of its culture.” (Molina Healthcare) Being one of the oldest civilizations, it is the home of some of the oldest religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. So it is important that possible practice of these religions is noted. Also, 40% of the population speaks Hindi, along

If one were to look up ‘skyclad’ in a dictionary, Oxford English Dictionary, for example, they would find the definition to be “Naked (used especially in connection with modern pagan ritual)”. Linguists believe that the word’s origins derive from the Sanskrit word Digāmbara, which is a foremost sect of Jainism, in which the believers or followers did not believe in the ownership of property and, therefore, did not wear clothing. The word Digāmbara in Sanskrit has an English translation literally meaning ‘sky-clad’. Though the word’s origin has not been absolutely substantiated, the world’s popular, reliable and most credited dictionaries seem to conjecture that it is exceedingly likely Digāmbara.

Traditions are unique customs that a family does together because of the meaning behind it. In the United States, there are different cultures that all have an individual set of values and beliefs. Some standard traditions that can be found throughout Christians is celebrating Christmas by opening presents or attending lunch together after a Sunday morning church service. Family traditions are important because they help to maintain a positive relationship with one another, it’s a pleasant way to stay connected, and studies show it has a positive effect on children. As we all get older and begin going our separate ways it can be difficult to have the entire family under one roof. Traditions are what keep them together.

Imagine traveling to a foreign country, where the culture and cuisine is very different from your own. How would you begin to explore the nation’s traditions and customs? Maybe you would start by visiting the most famous restaurants, museums, and buildings. By studying these places and things, you would begin to understand more about the history and what it was like living there during that time period. Not many people think about how our country’s cuisine began. The different mealtimes and food trends, through the years, helped shape our nation to what it is today. Other countries influenced and help create our ideas for our cuisine. During the Industrial Revolution, American mealtime and different food trends were positively affected.

Susan described her economic status in Romania as upper middle class. She always felt that she had everything she needed. She had a lot of friends and a good education and she maintained straight A’s in school. She spent most of her time with extended family when her parents would get into physical altercations, furthermore; she felt it was the only way to escape the craziness. Susan stated that she went to church with her aunt and cousin and they practiced catholic faith. Although her household was dysfunctional she had a lot of support from her extended family. When her parents migrated to the United States her extended family stayed in Romania. Susan expressed that she was sad because she knew what her household would be like without her extended family’s support. Upon her arrival to the US, she felt that it was very difficult to adjust to the American culture.

After reading the chapter and your summary of the chapter, I think more about rituals. Everyone has different things that they do in order to make sure that their culture remains the same. In the American culture a lot people brag about their accomplishments and feel as though they have to prove something to others, in order to be accepted and to feel superior to others. Everyone wants a pat on the back and some form of gratitude or congratulations for their accomplishments or their good deeds. The Bushmen remind me of how I was brought up. I was always told that I should have nothing to prove to others and that when I do something for others that I should do it in secret. It is rude to broadcast your accomplishments. In my family that is bragging