posted March 27, 2006 03:41 AM              

Here in Ireland the music scene is still very much to the fore....I sing traditional irish songs (not in Gaelic i must add), play fiddle and generally celebrate the ancient ways of the land (Sean nos).

We also have story telling....you would find in some pubs, inbetween songs a story or two would be shared.

And of course we still have fairy lore, the banshee and other various mystical beliefs.....

I feel its what gives the Irish their charm.....

Anyone?

posted March 29, 2006 03:39 AM              

Well at one time the stories would be ghost stories and of course they would be made up in the main. The ones I hear these days are normally funny ones......I will have to try and get hold of one......the often involve a drunken man, a pig and something else which I cant remember.

posted March 29, 2006 03:47 PM              

There really is a lovely soft energy here....the people are amazing....funny and genuine.

The place I live in is very geared towards the arts, there are lots of artists, musicians, all nationalities.....which makes it very interesting......

Hope they enjoy when they get here.....

Sending Irish luck and magic.....

posted March 29, 2006 11:42 PM              

In Vietnamese culture, when someone passes away, it is a big event that can last for days. The person usually prefers to die at home. Everybody comes to visit one last time, and it is quite communal unlike American tradition. The immediate family members dress in white, and tie a white headband around their head. These members stay at the the person's side. Lots of people will come day after day and stay for hours to pray outloud together. An altar is usually set up with food offerings to spirits. Traditional items are a whole roasted pig, citrus fruits, papayas, mangos, and steamed bamboo wrapped rice cakes. Every night the family hosts a banquet and everyone is invited. Lots of incense burned too. These are practices I've noticed at both Catholic and Buddhist funerals. So it pretty much makes me think these rituals are part of the Vietnamese culture.

In Chinese culture, I really like the Lunar New Year festivals because it is fun for kids. When I was in school growing up, I had classes where there were a lot of Chinese and Vietnamese children, so we got to make paper lanterns and kites in class. In third grade, my teacher was Chinese American and she taught us how to make fish kites by brushing paint onto a fresh fish, then pressing the paper on top to get a pattern. We sang songs in Chinese, ate dried exotic fruits like coconut cut into curly ribbons, so many candies, and red seeds. Firecrackers were set off, those were cool!

My family didn't do much about the Italian culture. I did study Italian language and art history in college. Later on as I am older, I've noticed that my Italian and Sicilian friends treat me like family. It's kind of like a Mafia because we help each other out and stick up for each other. Crazy kind of love I suppose. Heh.

posted March 30, 2006 10:30 AM              

DD, I have great ghost stories,,,,but they are TRUE.....and if you like I could tell a couple of em....they concern the house I live in at the moment.....

spoooooooookeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!

Haha !!!

posted March 30, 2006 11:59 AM              

Southeast Asian culture is really into earth religions and magic too. The old, old native cultures still have shamans, and do things like exorcisms. Remember the Tsunami that occurred last Fall? The surviving Thai are reporting hauntings and thousands of ghosts in the ravaged areas. Things like this spook Asians out. Back in my old neighborhood in California, a murder happened at a busy Asian grocery store. News like this gets around fast in Asian communities!!! Business went down so fast and there were rumors of the ghost haunting the store and food spoilage!

posted March 30, 2006 12:31 PM              

As for traditions that I grew up with...?
Dunno, really - I guess it's like the fish not noticing the water.

The closest thing that we had to one while I was growing up was Christmas Day at my Great-Grandma Smith's. My Mom's whole extended fam would be out, and she'd have spent the last few days filling up their tiny, hand-built house with food cooked on her woodburning stove. When I was very young, many of the ingredients had been grown by them or their neighbors, and even as I reached adolescence, the eggs and pork still came from their farm (smoked in their smokehouse round back). Some of the older men would bring out their banjos and guitars and pick a bit, but the memory largest in my mind was of being nagged because I "didn't eat enough" (they were a long line of farmers and thought nothing of 3rds).
I missed the days of my Great-Grandma's fam being great old storytellers - Grandmother said that they were so because they were Welch. I don't know if the Welch are really known for weaving yarns, but they apparently were in my family.

Other than that, there was the "country wisdom" that came down my Mom's side:
To eat local honey to help with allergies and
to watch for certain leaves to turn up to tell an approaching storm (not to mention what coming rain and snow feels and smells like - though I can tell you that those lessons seem to have applied to Virginia and West Virginia much better than to Alabama...I can't feel the rain as consistently here as up in VA).
There were myriad others, but they're not coming to me right now.

I regret that my Great-Grandmother (my Grandfather's Mother) died before I could ply her for her herbal wisdom - they say that she was quite an accomplished healer - and that I never learned how to douse from my Grandmother's Father (he doused most of the wells in Culpepper County in his time, and the well that he found for my Grandmother and Grandfather has never gone dry though others around them have given way many times to droughts).

I also wish that I knew more about my American Indian ancestry - my mother didn't even know that the Blackfeet and Crow come from the Montana area until I looked it up as a teenager, she'd just been told the names; and I don't know if the "Cherokee Men" listed on several genealogical records were actually from the Cherokee Nation or if officials through time said, "You Indian, boy? OK, then...Cher-o-kee Man...wed to... ----- Bartlett/Harrison/Spinks (it happens a few times on our family records)...and now ya'lls new last name is SMITH."
I'd like to ask around, but I'd feel like, "Hi, I'm another random white chick trying to glom on to your culture and history..."

posted March 30, 2006 12:36 PM              

My ghost stories....okay....

Spirits in our house which come out to play, turn lights on and off....we get whiffs of cigarette smoke and neither of us indulge.

My husband who out of the two of us was more sceptical had some of his books in his office moved and windows closed and opened.

We were guided to the house we were to buy by a healer, she told me there was a spirit man inside who liked me but thought my hubbie needed to change his logical way of thinking. He came to him in the night and sat on his chest twice and told the medium he should change his ways.

In Ireland we have sacred heart lights on the wall,,,small red light bulb with jesus inside. Hubbie wanted to rip it out and I told him he would be in trouble with the fairies and old ones if he did. I asked him to wait 24 hours and the message would come back to him. The next day a non irish (german) electrician came to do some work and I heard hubbie say "rip out the jesus light will you" the yer man said "oh no I cant do that you will be cursed".....errrr....needless to say the light is still there.

There was a spirit man in the house called Diarmuid who has now moved on. He was described in detail to me by a medium....and when I asked his nephew what his Uncle looked like he repeated back to me exactly as the medium had described. Whilst we spoke I was playing a cd of Irish music and he asks "whats the music called" and I says "oh this track is called Diarmuid"....I had no idea of the spirits name at the time. He smiled and said "he likes you cos you are of the old ways". Apparently he had more of a problem with my hubbie cos he didnt embrace the old ways enough.....but he does now....HAHAHAHAHAHA !!!

Lots more, if you wana hear..........

posted March 30, 2006 02:47 PM              

I am of Native American/Mexican/Spanish ancestry. In Mexico, there is a "Day of the Dead" celebration/holiday. It is interesting to note it occurs on November 1-2, right after Halloween/Samhain. The people visit the cemeteries and honor the spirit and lives of their deceased loved ones. Music is played and the cemetery is decorated with flowers, candles, and skeleton figuers. Death herself is viewed as an entity/energy and a transition, nothing to be feared.
Christmas festivities in Mexico last throughtout the month of December and into the first week of January. Religon, mostly Catholic plays a central role. The people honor the Christ child with Nativity displays in their homes and churches. Food, dances, and firework displays are common. The Spanish brought to Mexico the European tradition of the "Passion Play". The people of the town/city put forth a drama based on the Arraingment, crucifxation, and passion of Christ. It is really cool to see, as the local people play the biblical roles vs. professional actors. It is a complete community involvement, everything form set design to filming.

posted March 30, 2006 03:55 PM              

Here is a pic of Skardu. Kashmir is called heaven on earth by Pakis and Indians:

Skardu borders Paki and Chinese controlled Kashmir. Here an example of a chinese and paki kid in skardu:

a view from Masherburam hotel, the most popular one in Skardu:

posted March 30, 2006 04:07 PM              

[img]http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.damer.com/pictures/travels/egypt/bedouin.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.damer.com/pictures/travels/egypt/&h=377&w=555&sz=30&tbnid=6 VVruEzc14AasM:&tbnh=88&tbnw=131&hl=en&start=105&prev=/images%3Fq%3Degypt%26start%3D100%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN[/img]

a fort in alexandria, egypt:

posted March 30, 2006 04:21 PM              

Koshary is my fav food from Egypt altho its considered pretty balady (streetsy, not meant for people who can eat well ):

rice, pasta, beans, tomato sauce.

bellydance is another key part of egyptian culture:

Besides Islam, Egyptian history plays a big role in the culture (naguib mahfouz is my Favorite author )

Another funky thing abt the masris (egyptians) is their arabic dialect. It is very distinctive from other arabic amya (colloquial arabic). Egyptians pronounce the j as g and dont pronounce a kind of K.

Love
SG

posted March 31, 2006 12:57 AM              

Wow, those are some experiences to be living with on a day to day basis! In our old house, my mom said there was a toddler's ghost living with us. *shudders* Through her "intuition" she says that he was playing in the front yard and a car drove recklessly onto the sidewalk, killing the boy. A tree was planted in the front lawn as his memorial.

Hmm the next story is creepy . . .

There was a tree in the far left corner in the backyard. We use to hang hammocks in the spring and summer from tree branches to lounge in. Well, every person that was in the hammock wound to the corner tree fell onto the ground. We weren't swinging in them at all. Just laying in them. Then woops! A hard fall onto the dirt!!!

My mom somehow learned that a spirit of an evil man was attached to that tree. He didn't like the ropes hanging on the tree. That tree also happened to be rooted in a creepy spot in the yard. Nothing really grew near it as well. Anyway, my mom use to feel his presence a lot. Then after a while, the ghost quieted down and might have left. We don't know. All I know is my mom took the ropes off that tree.

A neighbor who lived diagonally from our backyard practiced old ritual magic from Southeast Asia. It is really something that I can't explain, but Asians always seem to know when someone does magic work. Anyway. They were a Hmong family. Amongst Asian cultures, although the Hmong are a generally peaceful and patriarchial culture, they are probably the most feared by Asians because of their reputation for black magic. You just don't mess with them and Asian young men are taught to never, ever court a Hmong woman unless they really want to marry them. Ok, so back to the family. Apparently they had transported from Asia a carnivorous plant to use as part of their religion. On certain phases of the moon, you could hear them doing their prayers and sacrificing live chickens.

When I traveled to Mexico, I clearly felt the presence of the old religion even though it is a predominantly Catholic country. When I visited the villages where the descendants of the Mayan people lived, I learned a little bit of what they still practiced. Before my tour group was allowed to swim inside an ancient underground river, we had to participate in a ritual performed by the Shaman. The Shaman lead us into a cave that must have been thousands of years old and had an altar set up. The Shaman would interpret messages from the Gods whether or not we would be allowed into the cenote. *shudders* The Shaman was cool though and let me take a picture of me with him.

One village that my younger brother and I will never, ever forget is that of Coba. This an ancient Mayan ruin and we were scheduled to spend the night at the local hotel. Oh man, you could feel the frenetic energy in that deserted jungle! Freeeaaakkky. Coba has a history of not only being a commercial city and part of the central government, but also a place where a traditional game was played between two teams. If an important decision had to be made between two towns, it was played out in a game with a ball in front of government officials. The winning team would get their way, the losing team would be sacrificed to the Gods. There were craved tiles depicting human sacrifices.

What's more is that the descendants still hold onto the religion, and it is kept largely a secret from tourist offices and websites. I had booked us into a lake front hotel. What I didn't know was that this lake had 12 live crocodiles the locals keep alive as part of their religion. I was snapping pictures of a crocodile lounging near the surface of the lake earlier that day and had no idea that our hotel was only 100 feet away! I also learned that the locals throw chickens into the lake to feed the animals.

At the end of the day we noticed that our hotel was deserted and we were the only guests. Mariachi music blared through the speakers and bright lights stayed on all night. We think this was to make the area unattractive for the crocodiles to enter.

Man, my brother was freaking out. We were too afraid to leave the room and stayed in eating healthfood bars, nuts, and drinking bottled water for dinner. We waited until 10 am the next day to check out thinking it would be broad daylight, lots of people outside, and the crocodiles wouldn't be out looking for food on the open road we had to hike on.

Anyway, Coba was really something. We were too afraid to continue on inland towards Chichen-Itza. This ancient ruin was a big religious center and human sacrifices were the dominant force. This is a true fact that archeological studies have uncovered. We were planning on riding horseback through the jungle as well in Chichen-Itza. But well, Coba was enough adventure for us at the time.

We hiked to the nearest bus stop about 1 mile away and took a 4 hour bus ride back to Cancun. We spent the next two days at a beachfront villa. "Montezuma's Revenge" caught up to us eventually. I got really, really sick.

So even though I am not of Mexican heritage, I felt comfortable sharing what I learned while there. I love Mexico!

posted March 31, 2006 05:28 AM              

Aphrodite.....thanks for your post.....most interesting for sure....

Will come back with some more stories later....

posted April 02, 2006 12:53 AM              

Geez...it's so odd you describe how a funeral takes place in your culture. Someone close to our family passed away on the 30th...the day of the Solar eclipse. He was such a sweet kid. Only 17! A tragedy. He died from a major car accident, on a day that all the high school students in our province, except for the grade 10's had off because of standardized testing.

I actually took a course on Death and Dying in Eastern cultures...really interesting traditions. And there was another course where I learned about the Hmong culture and beliefs...ie. spirits, possessions, and stuff. Some Indians, and South Asians are into black magic as well...scary.

Prox, hope your Great-Grandmother passed her herbal knowledge down to someone else in the family. My Great-Grandfather was knowledgable in that as well...and unfortunately I dont know anyone in my family who picked up a thing from him. My family in the past all lived relatively long lives. My Great-Grandunlce for instance lived to be 101 even though he used to smoke Turkish pipe...must have been something in that hookah.

Hehe...oh dear Cher-o-kee Man. Still I know a lot of white people with funny names...like Gardener, Stone, Green, White, Black, Purple (kidding on that one), Bush , Bird, Walker, Little,... Those names have got to have come from some characteristics they once possessed.

Sueg, that's spokey how obvious the spirit in your house is...and that he doesnt like your hubbie?...maybe he's jealous? How long has the spirit lived in your house for? I'll share some of the stories Ive been told later on...they used to keep me up all night when I was young.

Planet_Soul, interesting how big the Catholic relgion plays such a big role on the Mexican culture. That's sorta kinda how I feel about my culture...many of the cultural events are also religious events. Like the Eid-al Fitr, and Eid-al adha for instance. We have lots of parties though...birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, baby showers, etc.

posted April 02, 2006 01:57 AM              

Weddings are a big deal, so...

some nice wedding dresses

Mehndi

Fooooooooood

Chicken Biryani (Basmati Rice, Chicken, and Masala)

posted April 02, 2006 03:30 AM              

Thanks a million for the pics.....WOW.....I love the food and clothes and all aspects of the Inidan culture....sort of leaves other countries standing somehow !!!

Oh the spirit man had been there for a while....the house was standing empty and he was sorta "trapped"....he has moved on now.

We got a friend of mine to come in....we both did a course on house clearing and we did some stuff and he went.

Jealous of my hubbie....hehehe......yeah couldve been.....maybe he and I were together long ago....he certainly liked me anyway, I am told!!!

Will come back with some more stuff later....the banshee, jack o'lantern and other stuff...

Thanks DD.....

posted April 02, 2006 03:35 AM              

Damn daylight savings time, so I lost an hour and it's now 3:34....must get to sleep now.