Chapter 2 Traditions and Celebrations PDF

CHAPTE R 2 Traditions and Celebrations Your family or community shares traditions. Think Traditions are part of culture. Culture is the Ab0...

CHAPTE R 2 Traditions and Celebrations Your family or community shares traditions. Think Traditions are part of culture. Culture is the Ab0ut It way people live. The language you speak is Think about the part of your culture. So are the clothes you traditions and festivals wear and the food you eat. The holidays and that are important in festivals you celebrate are part of your culture, your family. too. Let’s find out about the cultures of Peru, Make a list of these traditions and Tunisia, Ukraine, and India. festivals. Share your list with a Word Watch partner. Culture is the way of life of a group of people. It includes traditions, language, beliefs, food, music, and art. 27  Celebrating Culture in Peru In school, María learned that long ago people What are some of the customs and traditions that came from Spain to Peru. They ruled the María celebrates? country. These people spoke Spanish. Their How are these customs language became an official language. connected to the past? That’s why most people in Peru speak Spanish. Before the Spanish came, Indigenous Word Watch people spoke several different languages. An official language is the Today some people still speak these original language the government languages. Two of these original languages are uses. It is also the language Quechua (KET-shwa) and Aymara. These that many of the people speak. languages are also official languages in Peru. Indigenous people have been living in areas around the world Spanish people brought the Roman Catholic since earliest times. religion to Peru. Today, many Peruvians are People from Peru are called Roman Catholic. Peruvians. Customs and other things from Peru are called Peruvian. In Peru, some Indigenous children learn their ancestors’ language and stories from parents and grandparents. In Canada, some Inuit and First Nations children also learn their own languages and stories from family. Why is this important? These Quechua girls are wearing traditional clothes. 28  A Peruvian Custom If you visit María’s house, everybody will shake hands and say “Buenos días!” That means “good morning.” These people are doing a dance called the Marinera. Customs and Traditions When María’s family lived on the farm, her This boy is playing a traditional parents wore traditional clothes. Her father instrument called a quena. wore a woven vest and woollen pants. Sometimes he wore a cape called a poncho. Her mother wore a blouse, a shawl, and a colourful skirt called a pollera. Today her parents do not wear traditional clothes, but many Think Peruvians in the village still do. Ab0ut It María’s Uncle Julio is a musician. How are languages in Peru connected to He plays with a dance group. They travel the past? around and play at festivals. Her uncle What are three plays a guitar called a charango. María likes it customs or traditions when he plays his guitar and sings. in María’s life? 29 This is a celebration in Peru. Sometimes people dress in costumes. In My Own Words My favourite festival is Carnival. My friends and I throw buckets of water at everybody! We also have a tree set up in the square. It is decorated with fruit and gifts. We dance around it and chop it down. Then we get the fruit and gifts. This tradition is called yunza. At Christmas, we have a manger scene in our house. I help decorate our house with lights. At Masks midnight, we eat our supper and watch fireworks. People in Peru have a We have a cake called paneton. It has pieces of tradition of making fruit in it. gold objects. This gold My favourite food for festivals is pachamanca. It mask was made in Peru hundreds of years ago. is a special dish of meat and corn. It is cooked in a It is now in a museum. hole in the ground. It’s so good! María, Peru 30 Llama Saves the People A Folktale from Peru There once was a llama who became very sad. He ate nothing and grew thinner and thinner. At last, his master asked him what was wrong. The llama said a great flood was coming. Unless everyone climbed to the very top of the great mountain called Willka Qutu, they would be drowned. Frightened, his master agreed. When the llama and his master’s family got to the top of the mountain, they found all kinds of creatures already there. Soon, the sea overflowed its shore. The water rose until everything was covered—except the peak of Willka Qutu. After five long days, the water went down. The llama and the family and all the other creatures went down the mountain. Life on earth began again. And that is how the llama saved the people from drowning. 31  Celebrating Culture in Tunisia Some of Ahmed’s ancestors were people called What are some of the customs and traditions that Berbers. Their language was called Berber, too. Ahmed celebrates? Later on, people from Arabia came. They were How are these customs Muslim. Their religion was Islam. The Berbers connected to the past? mixed with the Arabs and accepted Islam as their new religion. People in Tunisia started to use the Arabic language. It became the official language. Long after the Arabs came, France took over Tunisia. French became a second language. Today, Tunisia is independent. A mosque is where Muslims gather together. They pray and learn. At the mosque, they also celebrate different festivals. Most people in Tunisia are Muslims. Some Christians and Jews also live in Tunisia. This is a street sign in Tunisia. It is in Arabic and French. In Canada, some street signs are in English and French. Did You Know ? This means “good morning” in Arabic. In Arabic, you read the words from right to left. In English, you read the words from left to right. This is a mosque. Mosques are an important part of Muslim culture. 32  A Tunisian Custom If you met Ahmed, he would greet you with the words “ass’lama.” That means “peace be upon you.” Word Watch People from Tunisia are called Tunisians. Customs and other things from Tunisia are called Tunisian. These men are wearing traditional clothes. Customs and Traditions TRY THIS Draw a picture of what Some Tunisians wear traditional clothes. you think Yasmine’s Ahmed’s grandmother wears a two-piece dress wedding would have called a fouta and blousa. When she goes out, been like. she wears a veil over her hair and body. Ahmed’s grandfather wears a large robe called a djebba. Ahmed’s parents wear traditional clothes when they go to a wedding or other ceremony. Last summer, Ahmed’s cousin Yasmine got married. On the wedding day, carloads of people rode through the city. They honked horns, played flutes, and beat drums. Yasmine dressed in silk clothes of silver and gold. She wore beautiful jewellery. Tunisian jewellery 33  In My Own Words During the Muslim month of Ramadan, my parents fast during the day. That means they don’t eat or drink anything from sunrise until sunset. I don’t fast because I am too young. After This sweet is eaten during sunset, we eat a big meal. Eid ul-Fitr. It’s a pastry At the end of the month is Eid ul-Fitr stuffed with dates. (I-dul-FITTRE). This is my favourite festival. On that evening, everybody waits until the new moon appears in the sky. Once the moon appears, we start our feast. We eat many kinds of food. I wear new clothes, and I get presents from my parents. Last year, I got a model boat. Sometimes my aunts and uncles give me money. I am saving to buy a new bike. Mouled is another festival I like. It celebrates the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. People gather in mosques to pray. At night, I help decorate the streets with lanterns. Then I play Pomegranates like these are a popular with my friends. fruit during festivals. Ahmed, Tunisia Think At Eid ul-Fitr, children Ab0ut It get gifts like this model boat. Ahmed celebrates many festivals. Why do you think these festivals are important to people in Tunisia? 34 Jha and His Donkey A Tunisian Folktale Jha sold bright red caps called shashia stambuli. One day he fell asleep under a tree. Monkeys came and stole Jha’s caps. When Jha woke up, he was shocked to see the monkeys wearing red caps! Jha waved his arms and begged the monkeys to give back the caps. But the monkeys just imitated him. Angrily, Jha threw his own cap on the ground. The monkeys did the same. Then Jha quickly picked up all his caps. Sometime later, Jha’s donkey was stolen. Jha remembered how he had tricked the monkeys. He decided to trick the thieves. He cried, “Give me back my donkey, or I will have to do what my father did!” This frightened the thieves, so they returned the donkey. Then they asked Jha what his father had done. “He bought another donkey,” replied Jha. 35  Celebrating Culture in Ukraine Irena speaks Ukrainian. For many years, Russia What are some of the customs and traditions that ruled Ukraine, and the people had to speak Irena celebrates? Russian. Then Ukraine became independent. How are these customs Today, Ukrainian is the official language. connected to the past? Like most Ukrainians, Irena’s family belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Their church is very big, and it has a gold Word Watch dome on top of it. At home, Irena’s mother People from Ukraine are called hangs icons in one corner. They are small Ukrainians. Customs and other things from Ukraine sacred paintings. are called Ukrainian. Some Catholics, Muslims, and Jews also live in Ukraine. These children speak Ukrainian. They are having fun playing with a wagon. 36  Did You Know ? This is how you write “good day” in Ukrainian. Ukrainian words are written using a different alphabet. These girls are wearing traditional headdresses of flowers and ribbons. Customs and Traditions Irena’s cousins Yuri and Anna belong to a traditional dance group. Yuri wears a linen shirt and trousers, a sleeveless vest, and a coloured sash. He is proud of his beautiful red leather boots. Anna wears a skirt, apron, blouse, vest, and sash. She loves These boys are playing banduras. her headdress of flowers and ribbons. All the clothes are covered with colourful embroidery. Think Irena and her family greet guests with a Ab0ut It loaf of bread and a little mound of salt. The Clothes and music are bread represents good health and riches. part of a person’s The salt represents protection from harm. culture. Ukrainian music is often played on What clothes are part traditional instruments. The bandura has of your culture? What music is part of your strings you pluck. culture? 37 This is an Easter basket. It has a candle, decorated eggs, and Ukrainians make two kinds of Easter eggs. different kinds of food. Krashanky are hard-boiled eggs dipped in dye. People eat these eggs. Pysanky are eggs that are TRY THIS decorated with colours and patterns. People Research designs for keep these eggs as decorations. Ukrainian Easter eggs. Learn what some of the symbols and colours mean. Draw and colour a large egg with a border design In My Own Words and a symbol on it. Easter is our biggest festival. We call it Velykden. We make Easter eggs and put them in decorated baskets with other foods. We take the basket to church on Easter Sunday. The priest blesses our food. After church, we eat all the food for breakfast. We also celebrate Christmas. On Christmas Eve, it’s my job to put a candle in the window. That’s so strangers will know they are welcome. We have twelve meatless dishes for supper. We sing carols. Last year, I sang carols with other children. My family goes to church at midnight. This doll is a Ukrainian Irena, Ukraine Christmas tree decoration. 38 The Birds’ Gift A Ukrainian Folktale Long ago, a little girl named Kateryna lived with her grandfather in a village. One year, winter came very early. The wind howled, and the snow piled up in drifts. When Kateryna and her grandfather went out, they found dozens of tiny golden birds trapped in the snow. They rescued them and carried them home. The villagers helped them take care of the birds. It was like having bits of sunshine indoors in the dark of winter. Spring came. The birds fluttered against the windows, begging to be set free. Sadly, the villagers let them go. On Easter morning, the people found beautiful patterned eggs in the grass. The birds had left a gift to thank them! Ever since, Ukrainians always decorate pysanky for Easter. 39  Celebrating Culture in India Ravi’s teacher told him that the Dravidians What are some of the customs and traditions that were the first people to live in India. Later, Ravi celebrates? other people came from the north. In time, How are these customs their language became Hindi. The Dravidians connected to the past? moved south. They were the ancestors of the Tamil people who live in southern India today. Most people in India speak Hindi. Ravi’s Word Watch family speaks Hindi, too. Hindi is the official People from India are called language. There are many other languages in Indians. Customs and other things from India are India. Many Indians also speak English. called Indian. Ravi’s family and many other Indians belong to the Hindu religion. There are also Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Christians, and Buddhists in India. Did You Know ? This is how you write “How are you?” in Hindi. The Hindi language uses a different alphabet. This is a temple. Hindus pray in a temple. 40 Customs and Traditions Indian Custom Indians say “namaste” Ravi’s grandmother wears a sari. A sari is a when they want to long piece of cloth. She winds it around her like show respect to a skirt and drapes it over the front of her body. someone they meet. The end of the cloth goes over her hair. They also bow their heads at the same time. Underneath she wears a blouse. Ravi’s father wears a dhoti. It’s a piece of cloth tied at the waist and tucked into pleats from the front to the back. The dhoti is cool to wear in hot weather, and it’s easy to wash. When the family visited Ravi’s aunt and uncle in Delhi, they all went to see traditional dancing. Now Ravi’s sisters want to be dancers, too. Clay drums like this one are often played in villages and towns in northern India. This is a sitar. It is an Indian musical instrument. Think Ab0ut It Ravi says “namaste” to adults as a sign of respect. What customs do you have that show respect for others? This girl is wearing a sari. Some boys in India wear a turban. 41  TRY THIS In My Own Words Use books, the Holi is my favourite festival. It’s in March. We buy Internet, or a CD to coloured powder called gulaal (GU-LAAL) and mix research how it with water. We dab the gulaal on each other’s elephants are used in faces. We also spray each other with water! But we India. Present your don’t spray the adults, just our friends. It is all very information in a web. messy, and everybody has fun. Use a software program to make Raksha Bandhan is a family festival. It’s about your web. how brothers should protect their sisters. My sisters love it! I have to give them presents. They pray that I will have a long life. They make me bracelets out of ribbon or thread. Ravi, India Diwali is the festival of lights. People place clay oil lamps on windows, doors, balconies, roofs, everywhere possible. They light firecrackers in the evening. They go to the temple to pray for blessings. Then they have a feast. There are lots of sweets. For festivals and other occasions, some people in India decorate elephants in bright colours. 42 Ram Saves Sita An Indian Myth Long, long ago, Prince Ram lived in a forest with his beautiful wife, Sita. One day Ram went hunting. While he was gone, a wicked king passed through the forest. He captured Sita and took her away to his palace on an island. The birds and animals of the forest told Ram what had happened. A wise, tricky monkey god named Hanuman became his friend and helper. They led an army of monkeys to the shore. Then the animals made a bridge, and Ram crossed over to the island. There was a big battle. Ram defeated the wicked king and rescued Sita. When they got home, Ram was crowned king of his kingdom. He was a great and good king. Each year, people in northern India have a festival that celebrates the return of Ram. 43 What They Say Culture is how people live. It includes beliefs My Quechua Friend and traditions. When we lived in the mountains, I used to Understanding our walk to the market with my mother. I met a culture helps us girl there. Her name was Koya. She didn’t understand who we speak much Spanish. That’s because she spoke are. Who we are is Quechua. But we still had fun. We played part of our identity. hide-and-seek all over the market. Each of the four And now I know a few words in countries in this book Quechua. One word is yanasa. has more than one It means “friend.” culture. So does María, Peru Canada. Let’s hear what these children have to say about different cultures. Tunisians Together Most people in my country speak Arabic. But that doesn’t mean we are all Arabs! My father says our family is Arab and Berber. Berbers still live in the mountains. The Bedouin are different. They live near the desert and move around with their animals. People have different ways of living, but we’re all Tunisians. Ahmed, Tunisia 44 Our Crossroad My teacher says Ukraine is like a crossroad. In the past, people came here from different countries. People of different cultures still live here. My mother’s best friend is Hungarian. My father likes to tell about the band he played in when he was young. He says not everyone spoke Ukrainian, but they still made cool music together! Irena, Ukraine A Great Team Uncle Sanjay took me to a cricket game. The members of the Indian team came from different states in India. The captain of our team was from Bengal. One player was a Tamil from southern India. A batsman came from the west. It was a Think great team. It’s funny how Ab0ut It we are all different but still How are people in the the same. children’s countries the same? Ravi, India How are people in these countries different? 45  SKILL POWER Take Jot Notes How can you make a report about life in these four communities? First read the information. It may be in this textbook. Or, it may be in another book, in a magazine, on the Internet, or on a CD. Then take notes. Just write the important words that help you remember the information. Short notes like these are called jot notes. Jot Notes Write your jot notes in a book. - read o…? That way, you don’t lose them. - take notes Wh - use important You can also write your jot notes on a words sticky. Post the sticky on the page where you find the information. TRY THIS Turn to pages 44 and 45. Choose one child. Reread the information. Write one or two important words from each sentence. Use these jot notes to tell a partner about this child. 46 Sho w What You Know! Make a Collage In this chapter, you have read about many festivals in Peru, Tunisia, Ukraine, and India. Choose one of these countries. Find pictures of the festivals in that country. Make a collage showing the different festivals. Write a Postcard Imagine one of the children in this chapter is going to visit you in the winter. Create a postcard showing a winter activity the two of you could enjoy together. On the back of your postcard, write a note telling about the activity. Tell about the outdoor clothes your friend will need to wear. 47  Lo o k W h a t You H ave Lear ned! Quality of life is the sense of happiness you feel about your life. It is also how safe and healthy you feel. Traditions and customs help people remember the past. They also help people keep their identity. Celebrations bring people together to enjoy something special. Write a Report Choose one of the countries in this unit. Read about daily life in that country in Chapter 1. Read about traditions and festivals in that country in Chapter 2. As you read, make jot notes. Use your notes to write a report about life in that country. Illustrate your report with clip art or pictures from the computer. 48