Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Last stop, bloggers!
Well, after this entry, friends, I bid you farewell from COMM 301 blog-land--double credit for this last posting: Pick a cultural practice important to you this time of year (could be ethnic/could be spiritual/could be familial in nature) and tell us about it in a couple sentences...then relate it to the concept of audience analysis--thit is explaining a unique practice in a way that is inclusive for folks who celebrate/worship/live life differently than you do. perhaps the most important skill you will take away from this class--considering and adapting as sensitively as possible to your listeners and making it clear that we are all very different, but if we want to have important, difficult and eye-opening discussions, we can find common ground and convey mutual respect--REMEMBER: reasonable people can and often do differ in opinions but most of us want the overall big picture goals in life: Happiness, stability, love and connections. Your mastery of persuasion along with our thrilling anti-speech mini debate rounds Thursday and next Tuesday are grounded in these closing ideas of the fall 2009 semester! --Smiles and Hope--Your proud teacher!
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27 comments:
For my family christmas is extremely important. Both of my parents decorate their whole houses and have a christmas tree full of ornaments and stuffed with presents below. WE all get together for presents and breakfast/dinner. My sister, brother, and I all go to my dad's house for christmas eve and to my mom's house for actual christmas day. Spending the time together is very important and a way for us to feel connected and loved. Presents are always fun and were my favorite part when I was little. Now I actually enjoy watching everyone else open their presents. Some families don't even get together for the holidays and I can't imagine what my holidays would be like if I wasn't able to spend them with my family.
Not all cultures even celebrate christmas. Some cultures celebrate the religious side of christmas and I understand and respect all sides. I really do enjoy christmas though myself and wish that everyone could experience it the way that I do with my family...
Having a tradition with your family is not only important, but is a great way to keep the connections strong. It is hard to spend time with your whole family even once a year so the holidays are an excellent way to guarantee that you get to see the family...
On to audience analysis, some people celebrate hanukkah. This is an 8 day Jewish holiday that takes the place of christmas. The tradition includes lighting a menorah, trading gifts, and eating foods cooked in oil. I don't personally celebrate hanukkah but have known people that do and have heard that it is comparable to christmas but not about the day Jesus was born. Whatever the tradition or celebration that you have, I feel that they are all equally important and respectable!
Tiffani Scott
After reading Tiffani's post I would have to say that Christmas for my family has been quite religious over the years. While others may frantic over toys and gifts we have a deep sense of stress for the kids playing an active roll in the Christmas Nativity scene of when baby Jesus Christ was born. Ever since I could remember every year we would be in church a large part of December not that we weren't in church a large part of November but it just seemed like these times had more substance. Now that I have children of my own I am trying very hard to raise my children in the same capacity but there is one discrepancy my wifes traditions childhood traditions aren't always aligned with those of mine. Our nights and weekends were filled with rehearsing and recitals so that you performed your speech and skit for the Christmas Play without flaw. When I think of it this almost forceful public speaking at such an early age and numerous rehearsal can indeed decrease future stage or speech anxiety.
These days we are attending Church and watching other kids as they perform in the Christmas Play and say speeches about Jesus birth. Our children aren't as active in the Christmas Play as I would want them to be. We decorate the house with lights and a tree we buy more clothes for our children instead a lot of toys they really only play with them for a short time.
One thing that is consistent every year is that we embrace family, eat great food and acknowledge the fact that Jesus was born to save the world from eternal damnation.
Others may contest Jesus existence but yet they are not fighting to go to work on that day or any other federally observed Christian Holiday. We honor the fact that the founding fathers and legislature built this nation on Christian principles.
As Sandra said regardless to whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not happiness, love and family takes precedents during the Christmas holiday.
As a kid, I do recall celebrating christmas- It never held a large amount of religious tension for me (tough we did go through a stage where da dlumped us all into the car for church) and for a great many years, we did celebrate Advent and everything leaving up to that one day-
Nowadays, though, I have to say that my favorite sort of holiday is a week or so before christmas-
We all jump into a car and go to a relative's house. For years prior, it was a large christmas gathering at AUne Jennee's, then, when the grandparents died, it just became a small thing, with less presents and less people.
Last year and, I suspect, this year, it will nolonger be at jennee's house-
BUT, the part I always look forward to is listening to my aunts and uncles tlak about what it was like for them when they were kids
Being with them, I thin, and SOcializing i the big part~
I think Christmas is such a great holiday because every family has its own traditions, whether Christmas is religious holiday or not, it all has a different special meaning for everyone. And at the same time, they all have some thing in common which is how important it is to spend it with family and friends.
For my family, we have our own traditions. We open one present christmas eve, which is usually a movie. And we watch it together as a family, then go to bed. We wakeup the next morning to open presents, then my mom starts cooking because my entire family comes over. Now this part has changed alot over the years and its finally making its way back. When we were younger it was so much fun because my cousins and i were all kids, then it got kinda boring cause we all grow up. But now this year all my older cousins kids are finally old enough to realize what Christmas is. So this year Im reallly looking forward to seeing them open presents and them enjoying Christmas. So now its going back to how it was when I was younger.
Every family has its own traditions, but it all comes down to celebrating with family and spending time with friends.
Katie.
The month of December:
This month is busy-not just becuase of Christmas, but becuase of the 3 birthdays we celebrate and with all the activities we have. It is one of the most meaningful times of the year becuase this is the time we really bond and become a tight nit family (more than usual). We usually attend some plays that are done by the neighbors kids in a church (We don't go to church often except during the holidays), help put up all the christmas decorations as a family, celebrate birthdays, and make trips to the snow with friends and family.
This can relate to other people/audience members becuase my family is very open minded to how others spend the holidays. For christmas, every year we take in/invite the poeple that don't have family to spend it with, and they usually range in culture/ethnicities. By doing all the activities during the holiday season, I think it keeps everyone's mind open and more sympathetic/understanding to other poeple.
I guess overall for my family and the December/Holiday month, it's (universally) about love, friends, family, having fun, and really spending time with the family (While sneaking in some religious apects on the way).
Chris,
I have to agree with you about the children giving speeches probably reduces their speech anxiety when they get older. I was always in performances when i was younger and loved being the center of attention during a play. Some kids preferred to not have any lines during plays and i wanted to say all of the lines. It seems that this can help the children or push them further into their anxiety. My sister probably felt pushed into performing during plays and probably didn't want to say anything and felt resentful performing. You never know. Every child is different.
About the Christian part of holidays, it is nice that our nation was founded on Christian traditions. It is pretty sad that people are fighting so hard to have them taken out of government when they were the founders of government itself. Like the pledge of allegience being taken out of classrooms! I can't imagine not saying the pledge of allegience everyday in elementary school. That was the funnest thing besides recess and lunch. seriously. I loved standing up and speaking as a whole class.
Tiffani Scott
Kyla,
I also enjoy being with my relatives. I feel that is the most important part of the holidays. We pretty much spend all year doing our own thing and when the holidays come around we all get together. That is the most important thing that I want to teach my children one day. Get together with your relatives because we don't really know how long we will have on this planet with them!
Tiffani Scott
Since I'm Muslim, the special celebration that we have is called Eid.I really enjoy this holiday because I get to spend time with my family and get presesnts and money, which is like my favorite part. Also dressing up in traditonal clothes and eating a fabulous yummy dinner with everyone.
Eid is alot like Christmas in many ways because you spend time with your family and friends, you get presents and you apprecaite the things that you have in your life.I think that its realy important to have tradtions in your life bcause its something that you can hold on to for generations and also you can teach your children and grandchildren.
For audience analysis, I think Christmas is a great holiday and I respect everyone that celebrates it. btw HAPPY HOLIDAYS! =]
and I totally agree with what sandra said that it doesnt matter how unique or how different we are, we all want the overall big goals in life, which really matters the most.
I remember Christmas used to be the shiznit. but i guess everyone has to admit that the spirit isnt really there anymore. Do you guys remember the days when you were young and Christmas was sooo........ EXTRAVAGANZA. Well we still do the christmas tree, gift exchange, decorated houses with lights, big dinner. All the things you would see like in the movie a Christmas Story. But in conclusion this is the time to think about others and not yourself. The way how i see christmas is not to act like Scroog. Lets be thankful. celebrated or not. But damn do i miss that good old holiday spirit that is here no more.
-CJD
Christmas has been a very important tradition for both sides of my family and there for has had a huge impact on my life. I remember ever since i was little we would ALWAYS get together with my dads side of the family on Christmas eve and my mothers on Christmas day. no matter what. Now it has just become a tradition and even though we are grown and some are starting their own little families we still find time in our busy lives to get together. I believe that presents and all that is important when we were younger but now we are older we realized that it is just nice to get everyone together. I hope to keep this tradition strong as we all get older and move different places. Even though many people do not celebrate Christmas they can still pick a time during the year to get together and just spend time, forget about everything going on in life and just enjoy each other. This year i lost two grandparents really close to me within a two week period and i wish that i would have told them how much they mean to me and spent more time together. Life is so unpredictable and i believe that just spending time with people and telling them you love them means more than any present you can give someone! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
This time of the year, my family celebrates christmas; however, a more religious holiday would be 'Diwali' which is the Indian christmas. During this time we pray and offer food to god. To convey this to an audience I would provide similarities between the christian christmas and the Indian christmas. so the audience can relate.
Eric here Christmas is really the only time of the year when my family all comes together. Especially this year since my brother will be here. We are all really doing our own thing during the year so we meet on christmas eve and just hang and party (of this year i am of age lets hope I remember it ;) ). When I was a kid I always looked forward to this time of year, but back then it was for other reasons ;) but now that i'm older I realize that it is all about the family and everyone is together.
Not all cultures celebrate Christmas some celebrate Hannakuah and i'm open to everything so to everyone I say happy holidays.
i have never blogged before this class but it is sad that this is the last one i'm happy to have met all of you. If anyone wants to keep in touch my email is Jedieric@gmail.com
p.s. I would appreciate getting my books back Maria. Thanks.
Well I grew up in a very strict Catholic family with tons of mixed Catholic and Mexican traditions. One tradition that my parents brought from Mexico that we do each year a few days before Christmas is we have Posadas. Which are days of prayer, music and yes tons of food and sometimes even a piñata or two. For 9 days leading up to Christmas someone host one of these days at their house and friends and family come to celebrate the coming of Jesus. We usually pray first, sing a ton, then break a piñata (if there is one) and then eat some great authentic Mexican food. Since most of the days are on the weekdays we start around 6pm which means dinner time. Its a tradition my parents decided to bring with them since their children are "Americanized" according to them, but it really helps me understand my Mexican and Catholic background a bit more and appreciate who I am and where I come from. This year we start the Posadas next Wed, 16th and of course you guys are invited! Just email me at perez_link006@yahoo.com for more info. Also, random but my neighborhood is collecting clothes and food for the homeless, especially warm coats since its been really cold out there.
I had an awesome time with all of you guys! Thanks for laughing at my last minute jokes, and it was a great semester! Peace, Love and God Bless! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
P.S. Yes Eric I will bring your books sorry took me so long just have been so busy lately! Thanks for lending them to me...oh I'm definitely buying 5 and 6 for now! hehehe
-MARIA PEREZ (AKA LOUD OUTSPOKEN CHICK)
My family does celebrate Christmas and Thanks Giving but mostly it is just family gathering and spending time with each other. Most of the time we just eat, drink and laugh around with family members and relatives. The most important cultural practice in my family is Diwali. It's a festival of lights and all my family members and relatives get together; eat, go to the temple to pray and even decorate our house with lights. Back at my homeland "Fiji" we could use fire crakers to celebrate and light up the entire house with "Dia" (it is a kind of candle)and lights. We usually make lots of indian sweets and distribute it among family relatives. The best part is that you get to eat different types of indian sweets and spend time with your family. Despite the fact that my family doesn't celebrate Christmas and Thankgiving that much; I do respect and adore how people celebrate it with their families. Some of my neighbors have decorated their house from top to bottom which reveals how committed they are to their cultural background.
Sonal Chand
I also have to say that Christmas is the most time where ALL MY FAMILY come together. My mom comes from 9 brothers and 2 sisters. So this time of the year is when we ALL celebrate it together. First, we go to midnight mass and pray and what not (well some of us do), we have a BIG OL FEAST with lots of Filipino food and all sorts of other type of food, we gather around and wait til 12 and do gift exchanges and share stories with each other and just over all catch up on life. All of my family members never get to see each other during the year, some of us see each other at family parties here and there but Christmas time is the time I see everyone, and it's nice to see them. We have a tradition every year where we gather and take pictures with my grandma and for the little ones their great grandma. There are so many little additions to my family that I dont know which baby belongs to who.
My tradition may seem regular and similar to others, but this is a special tradition that I look forward to every year. It makes me realize that I should make an effort to see my cousins more often, but that never happens. Christmas morning me and all of my cousins have a tradition of eating breakfast somewhere then visiting my grandpa's grave. When we gather around his grave we all reminisce about how all of us use to be when we were younger and we'd crack up on different stories we'd be telling each other. It's just overall a great time for me and I treasure this time of year.
It's my own FAMILY tradition.
For my family, Chirstmas is the best holiday ever. All my uncles, aunts, and cousins are living in different places. So, only Chirstmas is the time that everyone can get gathered together because they will have a long vacation. It's really nice that you can see everyone. During regular days of the year, my grandparents' house is really quiet. But at the end of the year, the house gets warmer and warmer because it has been filled by all the loves and the laugh. We have so much funs every year. We open Christmas's present on Christmas Eve. After that, the adults will play card; the children will play with their new toys; the teenagers will try out their new clothes.
Althoug each religion has their own traditional Christmas, such as my family, we don't go to church or temple, but we all celebrate on the same days (not the same ways) and we all want to have funs with our own family and friends. Doesn't matter what religions we have to respect them.
Happy Holliday to you all!!!
---->>> TraNg DuoNg
Eric doesnt have faceboookkk=)))
Our last speech should have been about Christmas Sandra! I wana learn about Zainab's and Natasha's traditions.
<3katieee.
Well, For my family christmas is very important. To my family christmas isn't just about getting and giving gifts; It is also about spending time with family you don't see that often. Our traditions are: Christmas eve...since my family is so huge, we go to all my great aunts and uncles houses, visit for a while, eat, and exchange gifts. Christmas day my immediate family opens gift, we then wait for my aunt and grandma to come over and eat breakfast. Then unfortunately, my family watches football. LoL.
Like Tiffani said, other cultures will celebrate their own versions of christmas, some cultures don't celebrate it at all, so those people that don't celebrate it, may not understand why people celebrate it, but whats most important is being with your family during the holidays...the gifts that may come is just the icing on the cake.
Tara Scalese
Everybody's talking about Christmas (or their version of it) so I thought I'd go with something a little different. Every year before Christmas, all the women in my family get together and we bake DOZENS AND DOZENS of yummy cookies. We all take some of each, and give them as little gifts to people (co-workers, friends, neighbors). It's always a lot of fun and you can discover some yummy (and sometimes weird) treats.
(I wanted to bake everyone in the class my favorite cookies - pumpkin chocolate chip - but I've been so swamped with finals week that I haven't had the time. :( )
I think everyone in the "audience" can agree that getting together with your loved ones, during any time of year, to do a group project of any kind, is always a fun and rewarding experience.
BTW anybody who wants to keep in touch, here's my email, you can also use it to look me up on Facebook:
sarah.la.serena@gmail.com
gonna miss you guys! good luck in the new year! :)
I really enjoyed reading these contributions for our last chat! You all are just the best, really--what a nice group--Happy (All) HolidaYS!!!!!!! HUGS--s
Christmas, my favorite holiday since I was a baby sitting on my father's lap. My family is Catholic, so my Christmas experiences were always associated with churches, masses, and performances. My mom is a very active member in the church, so she trains me to be the same by making me join in choir, dance group, bible reading group, and some other groups that I can remember the name.Haha!
Every Christmas, I will be crazy busy with practice for choir, dances, skit, and sometime I help out with the decorating and the "Santa Little Elf" team. Although I have many happy memories about Christmas, but I barely have much memories about spending Christmas with my family, for each one of us will be busy doing something in the church during Christmas season, and even on the actual Christmas Eve.
I have a lot, and when I say a lot, I really mean it. There are like...so many people that are related to me that I could not remember their faces. So every year, we never spend time at home, instead, we go to either my great uncle's house or my mom's parents' house to eat and pray, and play, and get torture with the karaoke performance. Sometime, Christmas can be a nightmare for me (just because I have to listen to my aunts, uncles and even my grandparents' singing for hours)hahhaha! Luckily, I hope I have a calmer Christmas this year,because I will go to L.A. by myself for Christmas. Yahooooo! Cant wait.NOT that I dont love spending time with my family, but a little change would be nice.
I also wish you all a merry Christmas, and no body went broke after Christmas time. I know I will though
Nhi Hoa
The holidays are my favorite time of year because i get to spend them with family who are close and far away during the rest of the year. A big way that my family shows love for one another is food :) each part of the family that is "independent" brings a dish to share, even my older boy cousins have to look up recipes and perfect them for christmas. We don't just eat dinner, we typically have 3 different large feasts and celebrate ALLL DAY LONG. Each meal is different and unique.
I not only love Christmas for the food, but for the love that the family shows one another. Before it was all about the presents. Some families aren't as well off as others, so by cooking we all get to have a moment to shine when we share with one another. I like this way more than the presents, because the kitchen never really stops working. This is an all day "unwrapping of presents" ... and then putting them in your mouth. haha
will miss you guys,
Rachel Smith
hotlikefires@hotmail.com
rachelcsmith08@gmail.com
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I think Holidays in general- no matter what background they were initially generated from hold a great magnitude of importance. Most of this prominence lies within the gathering of families which therefore strengthens their mutual bond.
The month of January is full of hassels as most of us are set for our New Year's resolutions and varied attempts to better ourselves and our lives.
ANYWAYZ HAPPY HOLIDAYSSSSS AND BEST WISHES TOWARDS YOUR NEW YEAR!!!!!
saihra nagin
Is this where we are suppose to blog for TuThu class 9am?
Teng Xiong
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