Tradition!
In "Fiddler on the Roof, "Tevye speaks some of the most quoted (and danced to) lines in existence. Among those is one which has materialized before my eyes as I have been in Albania:
"Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as...as...as a fiddler on the roof!"
It is the line that give the show its title and spells out the main theme of the performance. The question arises, how do traditions shape our lives? Do we create ourselves based on traditions? Are they so important that they are nigh unbreakable vows? (Points for a Harry Potter reference? No?)
The past couple of weeks have provided personal anecdotes for the term "cultural dissonance" as what I believe to be standard is not how other people live. Thanks to Albania and my friends here, I now have a new understanding on not only tradition but on the seasons of the year and birthdays.
Let me elaborate. In my comfort zone known as the United States, I was raised on four seasons each with significance and with equal amounts of time (unless the groundhog sees its shadow). There will always be spring. There will always be summer. There will always be autumn. There will always (unfortunately) be winter. It is normal...to me. In the US, spring has finally begun. March 20th ushered in the renewing season for the world.
Enter "dissonance", stage left.
One week prior to the beginning of the (not-so) worldwide spring, a large festival sprouted on the streets of Tirana. People crowded the boulevard as a stage was set for live music. The parks were full of people and many individual, non-unique entrepreneurs had tables filled the same dry-looking, amazing-tasting, giant cookies. But what was the celebration? Summer Festival. Somehow spring got skipped.
Odd, I thought, yet interesting that what I have ingrained in my mind was not correct. You mean, I'm not always right? This surprise blow to my pride was easily lost as the fun of the celebration and the charm set in. I think summer in the US should have a similar celebration. Just a thought.
One other share-worthy case of me being wrong (culturally and traditionally speaking) was my expectation of birthdays. First I give a shout out to my sisters who have birthdays this week and in two weeks. Oh wait! I can't do that? In Albania, no. It is inappropriate.
A good friend had a birthday this past weekend and as an American I thought she would like to have her birthday to enjoy with her family so, out of convenience, we would get a small group of people together and celebrate the night before her birthday.
Bad idea.
Okay so not totally bad, but according to traditions, you should never wish someone a happy birthday or, "edhe 100" before their actual birthday. In the US I know of a few people who race to their computers to be the first person to post a birthday greeting to a friend's wall even if it wasn't their birthday yet. In America we have this thing about being first...at everything. So rather than getting friends together, we secretly just went to a restaurant and ate dinner without calling it a birthday party.
This event made me ponder on the American culture of convenience and the Albanian culture of tradition. Are traditions in the US fading? Are we, in terms of traditions, "as shaky as a fiddler on the roof?" I cannot answer that question all the way but one thing I know is that I am grateful for the traditions I have in my life and in my family. I will hopefully form my future family on the foundations of the righteous traditions of my fathers (ancestors).
"Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as...as...as a fiddler on the roof!"
It is the line that give the show its title and spells out the main theme of the performance. The question arises, how do traditions shape our lives? Do we create ourselves based on traditions? Are they so important that they are nigh unbreakable vows? (Points for a Harry Potter reference? No?)
The past couple of weeks have provided personal anecdotes for the term "cultural dissonance" as what I believe to be standard is not how other people live. Thanks to Albania and my friends here, I now have a new understanding on not only tradition but on the seasons of the year and birthdays.
Let me elaborate. In my comfort zone known as the United States, I was raised on four seasons each with significance and with equal amounts of time (unless the groundhog sees its shadow). There will always be spring. There will always be summer. There will always be autumn. There will always (unfortunately) be winter. It is normal...to me. In the US, spring has finally begun. March 20th ushered in the renewing season for the world.
Enter "dissonance", stage left.
One week prior to the beginning of the (not-so) worldwide spring, a large festival sprouted on the streets of Tirana. People crowded the boulevard as a stage was set for live music. The parks were full of people and many individual, non-unique entrepreneurs had tables filled the same dry-looking, amazing-tasting, giant cookies. But what was the celebration? Summer Festival. Somehow spring got skipped.
Odd, I thought, yet interesting that what I have ingrained in my mind was not correct. You mean, I'm not always right? This surprise blow to my pride was easily lost as the fun of the celebration and the charm set in. I think summer in the US should have a similar celebration. Just a thought.
One other share-worthy case of me being wrong (culturally and traditionally speaking) was my expectation of birthdays. First I give a shout out to my sisters who have birthdays this week and in two weeks. Oh wait! I can't do that? In Albania, no. It is inappropriate.
A good friend had a birthday this past weekend and as an American I thought she would like to have her birthday to enjoy with her family so, out of convenience, we would get a small group of people together and celebrate the night before her birthday.
Bad idea.
Okay so not totally bad, but according to traditions, you should never wish someone a happy birthday or, "edhe 100" before their actual birthday. In the US I know of a few people who race to their computers to be the first person to post a birthday greeting to a friend's wall even if it wasn't their birthday yet. In America we have this thing about being first...at everything. So rather than getting friends together, we secretly just went to a restaurant and ate dinner without calling it a birthday party.
This event made me ponder on the American culture of convenience and the Albanian culture of tradition. Are traditions in the US fading? Are we, in terms of traditions, "as shaky as a fiddler on the roof?" I cannot answer that question all the way but one thing I know is that I am grateful for the traditions I have in my life and in my family. I will hopefully form my future family on the foundations of the righteous traditions of my fathers (ancestors).
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