Today we began to learn about traditions and why they are important. The students thought about what a tradition was and came up with the following definition:
-to celebrate something
-something you do every year/week
-to bring the past into the present
-to practice culture
We also thought about some of the traditions that we practice:
-Christmas
-New Year's
-Holidays
-Birthdays
-Weekly family suppers
-Harvest time
Finally we talked about some of the traditions that might be in the communities that we are studying.
Arctic
-Storytelling: is used to keep in touch with the past and to help bring the history to the present
-Dancing: is used as a way to express themselves, celebrate special days and to tell stories. We watched a video on drum dancing, which is a traditional dance
Drum Dancing
-Seal Hunting: is used as a way to provide food and clothing for the family. We learned that hunters will stand at the seal's breathing hole and when the seal comes to breathe, the hunter will kill the seal
African
-Singing and oral traditions: are used to pass down stories, history and culture
-Music: is for the special occasions. We watched a video on African dancing. We also took part in a cultural workshop last week that taught us an African dance.
African Singing and Dancing
-Dating tradition: is where a young girl will send a young boy a bracelet made of different colours of beads. This will begin their courtship (or dating relationship). At the appropriate time, the young boy will ask the girl what the bracelet means.
-Weekly tradition: is similar to ours. However, while we take Sundays off sometimes, people in Africa all take Saturday off as a day to rest and relax.
-On Monday, we will be writing about some of the traditions that we take part in. We will also be talking about why these traditions are important, just like the traditions in the Arctic and African communities.
Students: Don't forget to talk to your mom or dad about the traditions that you do!
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