Freezing hand to Freezing hand

Beside my House in Caledon Ontario there is a marshy area that completely freezes over in the winter time. My dad found this out when I was about two years old, and ever since then my dad and I have made a rink every year. The rink came with many struggles such as: the tarp ripping, the clearing of the rink after a fresh snow fall, and just getting down to the rink! Even though it was tough work it became a tradition to build the rink every year. It also came with benefits such as my siblings and I learning how to skate. On Sunday, January 9, 2011 our rink was featured in the Toronto Star as one of the best backyard rinks, this meant a lot to my dad and I because we put so much hard work into the rink. Every night when the weather was just right my dad and I would be outside flooding the rink, and believe me it did not matter if it was -20C we would be outside underneath the stars. This was one of my favorite childhood memories, just me and my dad flooding the rink late at night under the stars. The rink tradition continues on through the summer, as my family and I dig the ground up to make the rink flat, bigger, and better than last year. This rink means so much to me because it brought my dad and I closer, and this tradition is something that I see myself passing on to my children. Just as Jim Coyle stated in his Toronto star piece about backyard rinks “Time passes. A skating son becomes father to the rink-making man. The hose is passed from generation to generation, freezing hand to freezing hand” (Toronto Star A10). Building this rink is truly a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation, just as my dad passed it down to me, I will pass it down to my son or daughter in the future.

Coyle, Jim. "Backyard Canadiana." Toronto Star, 9 Jan. 2011, pp. A10-A11.

MY FAMILY AND THE ITALIAN CULTURE

In my family we follow the same culture as Italians across the globe, yet we do some things differently making us unique. Our culture is what brings us together frequently in the form of celebration. Yearly, my family celebrates Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, along with many other holidays, which is similar to many other cultures. When I asked my Mom what we do differently I was informed that we also celebrate name days. “In the Italian Calendar each day of the year celebrates a different name”, said my mom. “Every name is in honour of a saint,

signifying the name’s importance and its relation to a saint” (Patricia Banks). Along with name days, there is Good Friday and Christmas Eve in which many Italians across the world don’t eat meat and only eat fish. “This has been passed down throughout Italian heritage”, said my mom in a conversation, yet my Nonna, seems to think it is related to religion.  My family in specific, participates in picnics and gatherings whether with one another or, involving other Italian families.  We participate in an Italian gathering called the Sant Andrea. This is a celebration of the patron saint where my Nonno was born. Many Italian families gather annually to reunite and enjoy various activities and foods in celebration of Sant Andrea. In the Italian culture, the preserving of vegetables is also important as it is passed down from generation to generation. My family, along with many others, make tomato sauce with homemade tomatoes. We usually cut up about 8 bushels of tomatoes which makes enough sauce to last a year.

This is the usual size of a bushel my family Would use to make the sauce. (Picture from http://eatatkellys.blogspot.ca/2011/10/canning-tomatoes.html)

 

My Nonna and other relatives work very hard to prepare this each year. The Italian community is very close and family oriented.   We enjoy large family gatherings, particularly weddings where there is an abundance of food, desserts and dancing.  One thing is for sure…you will never leave an Italian wedding hungry.   I enjoy the Italian culture very much and look forward to carrying on the traditions in future generations

This is the typical layout at an Italian wedding. As seen here, there is no shortage of food whatsoever. (Picture from https://www.pinterest.ca/explore/catering-buffet)

The Day of the Dead to the Day of Dessert

Growing up in North America, October has always meant Halloween. As the month went on, excitement grew until kids were bouncing off the walls. The children would pick their favourite character, and the parents would pick the cutest outfits for their little ones. But among all the planning of costumes, only one thing was going through everybody’s minds: candy! Halloween was the one day a year that kids were allowed to eat as much as their little hearts desired, and that was the norm.

I can’t remember a time before I knew of the magic of trick or treating. I know what my first costume was: a kitten. But, I only know this from seeing pictures. As a kid, I never thought about why I was out partaking in an activity that could be so creepy and dangerous. Now, with age, I can’t help but wonder: why has dressing up in silly costumes and asking random strangers for candy become a common childhood ritual?

“Halloween’s just a part of our customs. It is something that is part of our history that has been morphed into the over commercialized tradition it is today” said my mom when I approached her with the topic. “Yes,” she agreed when I asked if she believed it was safe to send kids door to door on this night, “because kids need a sense of community and the adults love to have them come. But, it is only appropriate on this festive night, and they should only ever visit people they are familiar with. Also, young children should never go unsupervised” (A. Roud).

The tradition originates from Samhain, an old Celtic festival. Two millenniums ago, in a ritual to scare away ghosts, villagers would gather together in costumes and light massive bonfires on this night. All Saint’s Day, November 1, was the day that the living would celebrate the dead; the night before became All Hallow’s Eve, the night the dead would rise. Since then, late October has become the scary day it is.

When the new immigrants came across to North America in the 1800s, they brought their cultural practices with them, spreading the fear surrounding this day. The idea of scaring off the spirits transformed into giving them gifts and treats in return for being kept safe. As the New World embraced All Hallows Eve they began to realize that there was no true harm from the night, but the tradition of the night lived on.

Although Halloween has changed drastically from the small ritual it was over 2000 years ago, it is a part of nearly every modern childhood, and one I am very glad is a part of my culture. Now, instead of asking for treats to give ghosts, we now ask for treats for ourselves; instead of dressing up to scare them off, we dress up for fun; and instead of using the night to protect our families, we send our children out to do the one thing we never advise them to: take candy from a stranger.

Works Cited

Boston University. 31 Oct. 2013, www.bu.edu/today/2013/how-did-halloween-get-started/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.

History.com. 209, www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.

Roud, Amanda. Interview. 26 Oct. 2017.

Giving Back for the Holidays

When we think of Christmas, usually we think of spending time with family, playing games or going out for fun activities; opening presents christmas morning around the tree; and especially an appetizing christmas dinner. Most families living in Canada look forward for christmas dinner because it’s time we spend with the people we love; what some people do not recognize is that most people take this dinner for granted. Although most families in Canada can afford their Christmas dinner, there are a lot of families who can’t afford this special meal around the holidays. My family believes that no one should have to feel the pressure of not having enough money for the christmas holidays; my family also believes that people who are less fortunate, deserve to be happy and well looked after especially during the holidays. For the last 8 years my family and friends have gone to volunteer at food banks in the local area. Every year we help the food bank with: sorting certain canned or boxed goods into separate barrels; making a boxed dinner with the canned goods we already separated from before; sometimes there’s clothes that were donated as well as food, so we help sort clothing along with making boxes. A few years ago, we invited my brother’s hockey team to come help us at the food bank, they were super excited because as we’re making boxed dinners, they turned it into a scavenger hunt and a race. The boys kept score of how many boxes they made and the next year we went, they would try to make even more than last time. I don’t think they realize how this race they were having helped so many families in need of christmas dinner. Not only did they feed these families but they took a lot of stress off of these families that struggle to purchase their basic needs. I love this tradition and I am so happy that my family volunteers at the food bank to give back to local families in need; every year, this makes me feel so glad that I helped feed families for christmas. When i get older and I have a family of my own, I want to carry on the tradition because I think it’s important to help your community.

Winthrop Web Services, W.W.S. Food Bank. estacadafoodbank.org/. Accessed 2017.

Erwin, Krista, K.E. Interview. By Isabelle Erwin, I.E. 25 Oct. 2017.

Savory English foods

England is not just a beautiful place to live, or to visit, but the foods that come with the culture of England is just as perfect. English folk take their culture very seriously which means food is no joke when it comes to holidays, and celebrating. Many dishes that are from England are now shared all around the world, for example fish and chips. My Grandfather, who is from England is such a fan of English everything. When he came to Canada to live with my family he brought over a new culture I have never experienced. The foods my family and I got to try for holidays were amazing. Bedfordshire Clanger Bangers, Chicken Tikka Masala Cobbler, Black Peas; and Pork Pies. When people think of England they think about Tea, and that is totally correct. Every Sunday night my family now has tea hour. Tea hour is when we eat Bread and Butter pudding with our teas. Almost every English folk will have tea hour. The culture in England is based around foods, and teas with your family. A bit of history is when the Frankish Normans invaded they brought over spices from the east. Which lead to inventing new foods, and tastes. England is a wonderful place to begin with, but when it comes to the food it only gets better.

     Work cited

Yorkshire Pudding. Google,

https://www.google.ca/search?q=english+food&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO1cOS_JbXAhWHxIMKHUSvAfQQ_AUICigB&biw=1094&bih=547#imgrc=bYsLGU0XvmiU7M:

Shawn, Burgess. Interview. 27 Oct. 2017.

Family Reunion

Fournier Family Reunion

Fournier, Mary. Family Reunion Photo. 2014

Every year we have a reunion of the Fournier's and extended family. This reunion was started by my mom’s uncle in 1974. It started in his backyard, every august the Fournier family came and they would have a big party with all the cousins. This continued in my mom’s uncle’s backyard for 13 years until he sadly passed away. My mom’s aunt still hosted with lots of help from some of the cousins but after a while, she had to move so the party could no longer go on. But then some of the cousins stepped up and said they could be the new hosts of the reunion so the Fournier Party could live on.

Every year, we drive down to Windsor to go to this family party. We do a lot of fun things that everyone participates in. Everyone brings some different food for everyone to have as a buffet dinner, but we always roast a pig. We also have egg throw, horseshoe tournament, Volleyball games in the pool, and a big frisbee game. Fournier, Mary. Family Reunion Photo. 2011 It is important that we keep this Reunion going because it really keeps the family close because honestly, how many people can say they know, like really know their 6th cousins. One year, the recent hosts of the party could not host that year as there was some sickness, so my family stepped up and we hosted the family party at our cottage. Although it was a bit different as it was in Muskoka and not in Windsor, we still made the most of the time because we were spending time with our family. I hope to keep this Fournier Party going on so I can expose my future family to the loving and close family. ---. Interview. 29 Oct. 2017.

Thank God For Atheism

An article on my family's growing generations of Atheism, and how it opened our insights to a much broader spectrum of beliefs.

For generations my family has ranged between many religions. A few years ago my parents passed on Atheism to me and my brother, rather than what their parents (my grandparents) believed in. When my brother and I became of age to understand conversation of religions with friends, classmates, adults… we were given a choice of what to believe in. Since we were young, we never believed anyone could guide us other than ourselves (we were difficult kids), but we started noticing how we never had special traditions or went to church. As we got older we realized our parents had no beliefs in God or Gods. My father had expressed one thanksgiving that “the most important thing to believe in is yourself” (J.Daniel). My father taught me and my brother many things: kindness, love, compassion… everything a father figure should do, but never taught us to practice a religion. We never considered ourselves Atheist until people started asking us if we were Catholic or Christian, and when we answered with “neither” they would frown and drop the topic. I believe there is no such thing as believing in nothing, but I do believe in science, and am thankful for the privileges it's given to us for ages; I believe in miracles, because all we have is hope when times are rough; I believe in love and kindness, so we can respect and cherish one another; and I believe in Humanity, in which everyone should be treated the same and have no rules or sins placing restrictions on our life.

As Barbara Ehrenreich, author of “Cultural Baggage”  says: “skepticism, curiosity and wide-eyed ecumenical tolerance are also worthy elements of the human tradition”. By having no particular religion opens the world to many more beliefs and helps us view the world however we chose to interpret it. By being an Atheist I am thankful for the broad spectrum of things to believe in. Atheism is not a religion recognized by many, but it should be. By having my own thoughts and the freedom to believe in whatever I want has made me into the independent person I am today. I hope to continue and pass down the religion of Atheism for generations because my family believes “you do you” (N.Haines).

Works Cited

Daniel, James, and Natalie Haines. Interview. By Noelle Daniel. 9 Oct. 2010.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. “Cultural Baggage.” 1992. Essay, p. 2.

Mishra, Ishita. Atheist. 15 Oct. 2016. IndianExpress, images.indianexpress.com/2016/10/athiest-759.jpg.

A Strong Family Is A Steelers Family:

A Strong Family Is A Steelers Family:

The tradition that our family loves most is enjoying the football season. We do this through watching football every sunday during the season, especially one team in particular. The “Pittsburgh Steelers” is an American football team that not everyone likes, but in the Jules house they are considered the best team in the league. Their killer offensive game and the fact that they have one of the best defensive lines in the league. To begin, one of things we do once every year is go to watch the Steelers when we go back to school shopping. We either go to; a Steelers game, practice or training camp. We did this because as my dad put it, “it just made sense”(Mark Jules). Although if we did not go back to school shopping in pittsburgh then we would have gone on these trips and I would not love the game as much as I do.

Michael in Steelers Gear- Age 2

I remember going to the Steelers games when I was little it was usually funny because we were so high up in the nosebleeds that the football giants looked like little figurines, but as my father always said, “it was about the experience” (Mark Jules). Me and my dad also went to a steelers game in buffalo last year. Which is where their rookie running back Le’Veon Bell broke the all time record for rushing yards in a single season. The practice we went to this last summer was interesting because even though they were running drills it was fascinating to understand how they became the best at what they do. It was also fun to sit in the front row and be that close to your heroes.

Steelers Game 2007

The training camps were always fun because we got to get signatures from the Pittsburgh players on our baseball caps after they finished. When they were training it was also fun to talk to my family and just sit back relax and watch some good football. The best part about these trips and watching the game was not about if they won or lost it was about enjoying spending time with each other and become a stronger more unified Steelers family and my dad said he believed, “having more exposure to the sport would get the whole family interested in football”. Although it is always nice to see your team win in football it is better to obtain a connection with your family. In conclusion, the tradition of watching football every season is what gives our family the connection that we have. Steelers In My DNA

Works Cited

Be_Steelers_My_Heart. Steelers in My DNA. Instagram, 7 May 2017, www.instagram.com/p/BTzrHiDlvtw/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2017.

Jules, Mark. Interview. 29 Oct. 2017.

---. Steelers Game 2007. 28 Aug. 2007.

Sears Photos. Michael in Steelers Gear. 12 Oct. 2003.

The Houston Family "Put-Put" Game

In the Houston family, cottage time means family time. When my grandma was young, her 13 brothers and sisters would all gather at their cottage in Minden, and on rainy days, would all gather around their table and bring out the rummoli board.

A Rummoli Board like my families.

The game has simple rules, but these are the “Houston” rules. The full deck of cards is dealt, if playing with six or more people, deal two decks. A “spare” pile must be dealt. After cards are dealt, if someone has a bad hand, they can “bid” for the spare pile. The person who bids the highest gets the deck. Next, all players must put one penny into each slot in the board. The person to the left of the dealer starts, putting down the lowest card of any suit that’s in their deck. The person who has the next card in that suit puts down that card. If no one has the next card in the suit, then the last person who put down a card puts down the lowest card in their deck and the play continues with that suit. If a “special” card (a card that is seen on the game board) is played, the person who played the card gets all of the pennies in that pot. The first person who has an empty hand gets the pot in the middle, then the cards are all shuffled and a new round starts. The game ends when an agreed “end point” is reached. When this happens, a single round of poker is played for each remaining pot. The winner of each round gets one pot until all pots are gone. The person with the most pennies win.

The name “put-put” came from my Uncle Bernie, who always caught my aunts and uncles not putting their pennies in the pots. He always tapped the center of the board and yell “put-put!”, startling everyone at the table. The game board we own (not the one in the picture, though same model. Ours is covered in duct tape because of overuse) has been passed down to me, even though my grandmother, aunt and I still play it at the trailer on rainy days.

Houston, Norma. Interview. 26 Oct. 2017.

Tea Biscuits: A Christmas Tradition

The tradition to go to my grandparent’s house on Christmas morning was born before I was. Since I was born, my mom, my dad, my sister and I always get up at seven in the morning to drive out on the chilly morning of Christmas to visit my grandma and grandpa. My grandmother’s mother used to “always make tea biscuits on the morning of Christmas”, and it “brought [her] and [her] many sisters closer together”, because they would always get excited about this time (Holmes). As it brought her family together, she wanted to carry that to her children, and then, eventually, onto me and my sister. My grandmother adapted the tradition to cook and have my family over on Christmas morning from her mother, and her purpose was to bring us all together, like her mother’s cooking brought her and her family closer.

Since we have adapted this tradition, my sister has started to slowly take the reigns, as she added her famous cinnamon buns to the family tradition. I can definitely see this tradition continuing on through me, and especially my sister, as I am not the best chef. She will most likely take on the role of my grandmother when we are both older, and our families will continue this tradition on at her home. My family was not always super close with my aunt and uncle, but over the years, getting together on Christmas and uniting over our yearly sweet and salty treats has really brought us together as a family, and helped us to grow our bond even stronger.

Since my family does not really practice a certain culture, I relate to the essay “Cultural Baggage”, as me and my family are proud contributors to the culture of “none”, but practice important traditions that help our family grow.

                           

Works Cited

Food Network. Cinnamon Bun. Food Network, www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/almost-famous-cinnamon-buns-recipe-1973005. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.

Holmes, Debbie. Interview. 26 Oct. 2017.

M Island Bistro Kitchen. Tea Biscuit. 1 Jan. 2012. My Island Bistro Kitchen,

myislandbistrokitchen.com/2015/05/17/tea-biscuits/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.

Christmas Advent Calendars

Lindt Advent Calendar
http://www.lindt.co.uk/shop/ seasonal-chocolates/advent- calendars/lindt-advent- calendar

Every year at the start of December, each person in my family receives a Lindt chocolate advent calendar containing twenty-five compartments for the twenty-five days leading up to Christmas. Every morning after December 1st, we open a numbered door on the box, starting at number one, and get to eat the chocolate behind it; the variety of chocolate flavours contained are: milk, white, dark, peppermint, toffee or caramel; depending on the date relative to Christmas, the flavour and actual size of the chocolate varies; the contents of the calendar ranges from chocolate balls, squares, and bells, to chocolate snowmen, Santas and reindeers as it gets closer to Christmas. “We used to do advent calendars occasionally as a kid,” my father explained. “Some years, my mother would make them, and in later years we would buy premade ones from the store. My siblings and I used to get really excited waiting for Christmas, so this was a way to give us a little excitement each day leading up to the big day. I continued with this tradition when we had kids of our own” (Allen).

First Printed Advent Calendar:
http://www.weihnachtsmuseum. de/en/die-ausstellung/advent /adventskalender

The tradition of advent calendars dates back to mid-19th century Germany when Christians made chalk marks on doors or lit candles to count the days leading up to Christmas. In the early 1900’s, the first printed advent calendar was produced by German Gerhard Lang. Lang’s calendar was inspired by one his mother made him as a child. He received twenty-four candies sewn into the lid of a box, and was allowed to eat one each day during the advent period: the four week period beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast day of St. Andrew on November 30. The countdown of the “advent’ or “coming” of Christmas was originally began as a time for converts of Christianity to prepare for baptism, but is now more commonly associated with the anticipation of the anniversary of Christ’s birthday on December 25. Eventually, the popularity of Lang’s calendar began to spread, and by the end of the 1930s, they were being sold by several publishers around the globe.

Lindt Chocolates:
http://mostlyaboutchocolate. com/lindt-christmas-treats- collection/

Today, most advent calendars include paper doors that open to reveal image, Bible verse, or piece of chocolate. The daily gift receive is a fun way for kids to enjoy the devastating month-long wait leading up to Christmas, and it is something I plan to continue as my family’s tradition.  

Works Cited

Allen, Scott. “A Brief History of Advent Calendars.” Mental Floss, 1 Dec. 2010, mentalfloss.com/article/26522/brief-history-advent-calendars. Accessed 25 Oct. 2017.

Allen, Steve. Interview. 25 Oct. 2017.

Sellmer Verlag, Richard. “History of Advent Calendar.” Traditional Advent Calendars, sellmer-verlag.de/history.htm. Accessed 25 Oct. 2017.

Wohlfahrt, Käthe. “Advent Calendars.” Deutches Weihnachtsmuseum, www.weihnachtsmuseum.de/en/die-ausstellung/advent/adventskalender. Accessed 25 Oct. 2017.

Ukrainian Christmas

Every year around January 7 my extended family and I, all 20 of us, get together for an evening to celebrate our Ukrainian Christmas.The table is filled with many dishes and candles are burning in delight. All of us gather around the large dining table and enjoy each other's company.  It is the one day we can all get together and celebrate.  

Ribbon Candy https://newengland.com/today/food/new-england-made/ribbon-candy/ Wheat http://www.claudiascookbook.com/2011/01/06/kutia/

The foods we have are borscht, which is a warm beet soup, kutia: wheat simmered with honey and poppy seeds, pudaha, perogies, cabbage rolls and pueshket, which consists of buns and creamy dill sauce, and many versions of fish: due to it being Christmas Eve, so we do not have any meat. When my great Baba was younger oranges and apples were very special as the only time she received them were on Christmas along with nuts, chocolate, and ribbon candy.

There was no December 25 only January 7 for my Ukrainian side of the family.

This dinner has started because my great great Baba had hosted it and my great Baba wants to keep the tradition going. She told me: “All my sisters decided to continue the tradition as well onto their families. I was never taught to cook all these foods as I could only watch as my mother made all of the dinners. I had to learn to make it all myself when I went off to start my family and everything used to be made the day of the dinner because we did not have any refrigeration available and to ensure freshness. Each dinner is different because I make versions of the dinner as my mother did with her own mothers. Also, for Christmas,  we would bring hay in the house and put it on or under the table, and put money in it for the children to find” (Koroscil).

  We, my family and I, all attend this event because it is important to my great Baba and great Gido and we look forward to it each and every year. Moments like these create lasting memories that we cherish for years to come.  

My Family 

Taken by Wayne Koroscil ( Gido)

Works Cited

Jamie, and Claudia. Kutia. 2012. Claudia’s Cookbook, 2012, www.claudiascookbook.com/2011/01/06/kutia/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2017.

Koroscil, Marie. Interview. By Samantha Tomlinson. 26 Oct. 2017.

Koroscil, Wayne. Family at Ukrainian Christmas. 6 Jan. 2014.

Tucker, Aimee. The Red and Green Variety Tastes like (what else?) Peppermint. New England Today Food, 2014, newengland.com/today/food/new-england-made/ribbon-candy/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2017.