Culture

What is culture? Culture is “the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations; the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.”

Each background, religion, race, or group has a different culture. My dad is from Romania and my mom is American. They have two completely different backgrounds. Each one has a different view on life and a different view on work ethics. My dad moved from Romania to America when he was nine, however, his parents still brought him up with the same Romanian values. When him and my mom got married, it was so different for him because he was taking on completely American lifestyle.

There are so many different cultures and each of those cultures has different morals. When I think about my background and religion, I realize that we have different traditions than many other religions as well. In the Jewish religion, we have a custom to have Shabbat every Friday. Shabbat is the day of rest. It lasts from Friday sun down until Saturday sun down. During this time there should be no work, electricity, carrying, or chores that should be done. Theses 24 hours are the hours of rest. During this time the reason one isn’t supposed to use any electricity and not supposed to do any work because G-d made the world in 7 days. The seventh day was the day to rest. The end of the week. It is the one-day where you are supposed to relax and enjoy time with your family.

For one of the high holidays my family and I always to California to spend it with some family friends. Our family friends are Persian. The Persian culture is very different too. When they tell us to come over for dinner at 5, what it really means is 7:30. Its not that it is bad, it’s just what they mean.

Some cultures it is impolite to come late, some cultures it is impolite to look straight in the eye, to eat before the elders, to finish your whole meal, and many many more. In each country, in every person’s home, in every different restaurant, there is something that someone has never seen before. Its not good just say forget about it, one must embrace it and learn someone else’s beliefs or cultures.

I love to travel. My family takes a backpacking trip every summer. We go to a different country each time. I love exploring different places and learning all about each individual countries cultures. I feel it can broaden your view and can teach you so many things that you wouldn’t learn just by sitting in your own home.