Government Font Family Cultural Celebrations

Cultures throughout the world have unique celebrations. Listed below are celebrations from throughout the world. Your task is to read about these celebrations and identify the value(s) each celebration cherishes. Some celebrations will have more than one value attached to the event.

Read the description of each celebration and identify the value(s) exemplified through such a celebration.

1. Cheung Yeung Festival (China) commemorates the legend of a soothsayer who advised a man to take his family to a high place for the entire ninth day of the ninth moon. Upon returning home the man found all living things had died during his family’s absence. Today, on this day, many people visit the graves of family members.

2. St. Patrick’s Day (Ireland) is on March 17 and commemorates the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Up until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. After being sold into slavery, he became closer to God. He escaped from slavery and went to Gaul where he trained for his calling to Christianity. Patrick was arrested several times but escaped each time. He established monasteries across Ireland, set up schools and churches, which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

3. Ramadan (Islamic) is a special month of the year for Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. Fasting is obligatory during Ramadan. The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn and ends at the setting of the sun. During the daylight hours, Muslims totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and marital sex.

4. Days of Awe/Yamim Noraim (Jewish) are the ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur. This is a time for serious introspection, a time to consider the sins of the previous year and repent before Yom Kippur. It is common to seek reconciliation with people you may have wronged during the course of the year.

5. Guy Fawkes Day (England) originated in 1605 when a group of conspirators were angered because King James had been exiling Jesuits from England. The plotters wanted to take power away from the king and return the county to the Catholic faith. Guy Fawkes and his friends had rolled 36 barrels of gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament. However, one of the group members sent an anonymous letter warning the king to stay away from the parliament. The warning letter reached the King, and the conspirators were caught, tortured and executed. This event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire. Some of the English have been known to wonder whether they are celebrating Fawkes’ execution or honoring his attempt to do away with government.