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Traditions
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Traditions
传统

Learn the Simple Future Tense

Date: Sep 07 2012

Themes: Family

Grammar: Simple Future Tense

Intro

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Billions of people lived and died before you were born. It’s strange to think about isn’t it? All of those people whose lives helped shape the world we live in are gone. What is our connection to them?

For some, traditions provide a valuable connection to the past. It can be rewarding to do the same things that your parents did, and their parents, and their parents, and so on. A tradition can be as simple as celebrating a holiday in a particular way or as big learning a particular occupation.

Traditions aren’t just a connection to the past. They are also a connection to the future. If you continue a tradition or even start one of your own, people many years from now will have you to thank for it. Listen to Amy and Mason talk about traditions.

在你出生前,数十亿人曾在这个世界生活、死去。这么想来是不是很奇怪?那些曾塑造了我们眼前的这个世界的人们,全都不在了。是什么将我们和他们联系在一起?

某种程度上,传统是与过去岁月相连的宝贵纽带。你的父母、祖父母,以及他们的上一辈、上上辈……可能一直在做同一件事情,这是很有意义的。传统可以如同以一种特殊方式庆祝节日这样简单,也可以博大到对一门特殊职业的钻研。

传统并不只是传承过去。它们还维系着未来。如果你继续保留一种传统或开创自己的传统,那么多年以后,人们会因此对你念念不忘。请听 _ 和 _ 谈论传统。

Dialog

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Mason

Mason

Amy

Amy

Mason:  Funny enough, I don’t have many traditions.

Amy:  Do you think it’s fun to have traditions, or do you purposely not have traditions?

Mason:  I mean, the ones that I do keep I love dearly. So, like, every year I sit down with my friends and I watch all the Lord of the Rings movies back to back.

Amy:  That’s very nerdy.

Mason:  In one day.

Amy:  Wow.

Mason:  And it’s awesome. I will do that forever. Best tradition anyone’s ever had. But outside of that, there’s not really a whole lot.

Amy:  It’s kind of funny, because once you get married, you sort of start to think about, “What are our family traditions gonna be?” It seems like a lot of…Like, within in a family, you start those traditions more, like for your kids and stuff like that.

Mason:  Sure. A lot of traditions very quickly can become like, ugh, I’m doing this because I have to. It’s kind of a chore, rather than something you look forward to and you want to kind of keep participating in.

Amy:  It’s true. We should just destroy all those old traditions. Out with the old, in with the new.

Mason:  Maybe there needs to be an evaluation period for traditions. Like every three to five years you need to do a review period and sit down and say, like, “Hey, this tradition’s not really working out for us anymore. We’re gonna have to let you go.”

Amy:  I like that.

 

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Discussion

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Mason tells Amy that he does not have many traditions. One tradition he does have is a little unusual. He and his friends watch all of the Lord of the Rings movies back to back each year. Amy thinks this sounds like a fun but dorky tradition.

Amy recently got married, and she says that once a couple gets married, they start developing their own traditions. Most traditions that people have come from their families. They might be traditions that they started with their parents when they were kids and have continued to keep up as adults.

Mason thinks that some traditions are too much of a burden. He says people keep up some traditions because they feel like they have to, not because they really want to. He thinks we should all reevaluate our traditions every few years and decide whether or not we really want to keep them going.

What are some of the traditions that you and your family observe? Do you have any traditions that you don’t really enjoy anymore?

 

Comments

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paloma233333

China

traditions are the present our forefather have left for  all of us.traditional holidays are the most welcomed.haha.that’s it.                  :D  

06:38 AM Nov 09 2014 |

sara1998

sara1998

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

my country is full of traditions which are different for each part of it and all of them are really nice.they’re amazing!

09:07 AM Aug 20 2014 |

kimnga

kimnga

Viet Nam

My family has some traditions on the Lunar New Year. For example, a few weeks before the new year, my Mom normally buy different kinds of food that we can eat during the lunar month ; especially a big container for containing rice must always be filled with rice with the desire that we always have enough in everything.

07:27 AM Aug 16 2014 |

raisacorrea

Brazil

Thanks God, my family doesn’t have traditions!!


this is a thing of the past, and I don’t look forward to have one.

03:07 PM Sep 12 2012 |

dashwood

United States

My family has blueberry pancakes for breakfast every Christmas morning after we open our gifts.  I don’t know when my family started this tradition, but I have done it for as long as I can remember.

01:34 AM Sep 12 2012 |

Lesya2102

Lesya2102

Czech Republic

In Russia we have a lot of tradition which often we do not find in other countries..i think this happened because Russia had other way of development country,culture etc.  than Europe or Asian countries. We have like mix culture( Asian and Europen)...but i want to tell you about my favourite holiday . It is a New Year!! 


Long ago in Russia this holiday was celebrating in the first day of September, but now we have it in night from 31 december till 1 january, it is magic night , i do not  tell about it because you know it yourself!))))so, in the first, we start to celebrate a 


Christmas(Catholic christmas), then we celebrate our NEW YEAR,further we start to prepare to the Orthodox Christmas (7 january ) and celebrate it too)


The next holiday, a foreighn people do not understand because his name is ‘Old new year’!!!it is paradox but it possible , because a lot of years ago in this day was celebrating New year ! But it is not end . There is Chinese new year which is in ending of January. And in Russian people celebrating this day very funny )))


haha , so in Russian people( not all ) celebrating New year 5 times + we have the opportunity meet new year more times if move from one time zone to other. it’s possibly too ))


thanks for your attention

04:23 PM Sep 11 2012 |

1 person likes this

elak

elak

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I think tradition is important and sometimes boring:| but in my opinion it is essentional because in some way it shows the culture of people and the country


 

10:56 AM Sep 10 2012 |

shookiba

Israel

i playing battlefield 3 once time in a week

05:22 PM Sep 09 2012 |

ads999111q

ads999111q

India

I think traditions are important to be created.. but they r just not needed to be reviewed every 5 years.. i won’t make any sense. Any centuries old traditions that we have now would not have survived if our forefathers did the same.

12:27 PM Sep 09 2012 |

poiaren

poiaren

Malaysia

i do love tradition because i can feel each precious moments starts from childhood where each year family celebrate Christmas and family gathering.

09:11 AM Sep 09 2012 |

1 person likes this

poiaren

poiaren

Malaysia

i think we should keep the traditions, for future living. teaches children to be polite to the elders and respect others people. Tradition festival where family get to there reunion on each year.

08:53 AM Sep 09 2012 |

1 person likes this

Orchestra

Orchestra

Russian Federation

Julissita: Yeah! Your story made my mouth water) My mom has been sometimes making festival cakes on her own on birthdays and New Year, but unfortunately, that happends not annually. Perhaps, in case all man every year anticipated her bake that ones she would have nothing left to do apart from baking these cakes)))) In such a manner it migth be more traditional, you know)) 


Nevertheless, I hope food is not such a thing making you gather whenas the feeling of familial propinquity does take place in more significant extent ;-) 

10:32 PM Sep 08 2012 |

1 person likes this

Orchestra

Orchestra

Russian Federation

Must confess, desputable issue. I’ve got two opposite points of view tearing me apart.
On the one hand, traditions are really central to our cultural self-organization representing a kind of a gateway through centuries, from past generations to present and future ones, as it’s been mentioned above. Besides, it helps us feel ourselves like a part of something huge (within family, city or even country).
On the other hand, intentions of being extraordinary and ignoring customs become a mere chore or an intolerable stupid occasion are truly fair and logical.
Thus, in my family we follow some traditions set up by relligion and common festivals mostly (New Year, Christmas, Easter and so on), even though they aren’t compulsory and we don’t do such things if we don’t want to or we can’t.

09:13 PM Sep 08 2012 |

marija luiza

Mexico

Traditions are a very interesting topic. When we are a child, we feel like everything is a little bit boring or we do not enjoy it at all. However, it is something that we need to life, just enjoy the moment and be happy, because when we spend time with our parents, grandparents and relatives are the best moments in our lives.


Talking about traditions, the most populars are New year, Christmas and Easters.


My family just have dinner and spend time talking about how life is going. We make some mexican traditions and that’s all.


Never think that traditions are boring just try to enjoy every minute 

04:40 PM Sep 08 2012 |

m/d

m/d

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

  iranian new year                                                                                                                              Iranians are mostly Muslims and celebrate the New Year on the first day of their spring.


There festivals known asNoruzorNowruzand falls on the 21 March according to the Gregorian calendar. The first month is known as Favardin and Noruz falls on this day.


They know when the New Year is upon them as in each town and village a cannon is sounded at the precise moment until it is heard they don’t start their celebrations. They prepare for several weeks before hand.


In preparing they have to grow grains of wheat, barley or lentils to use as decorations for their houses. This decoration is a symbol for growth and prosperity and must be kept in the house for thirteen day after which it is thrown into the river.


They clean their houses during the days leading up to the New Year and they either make or buy new clothes for themselves and their family. If they cannot afford to much they try to have at least one piece of new clothing often a pair of shoes.


A special table is set up with seven articles which all must begin with the letter “s” for Haft-sin. They are:
Sonbul – hyacinth
Sabzeh – green shoots grown from grain
Samanoo – a sweet pudding made of green wheat
Serkeh – vinegar
Sumac – a herb
Seeb – an apple
Senjed – bohemian olives.


Other objects are a bowl of colored eggs, candles, a mirror and a bowl of rose water.


They also must have a copy of their holy book the Koran, on the New Year table.


After the cannon have sounded people visit their relatives to wish them a happy New Year. The elders give the younger ones a silver or gold coin this is known asaidi. Everyone then gathers around the New Year table for a special feast, which includes traditional dishes such as Baklava, Nune Shekari which is a sugar biscuits and Badam Choragi which is are almond biscuits.


In Persia now Iran people used to exchange eggs as gifts on New Year’s Day, to suggest the idea of new life beginning.


A few weeks before the Iran New Year, people put grains of wheat or barley in a little dish to grow. By the time New Year arrives the grains have produced shoots. This is done to remind people of spring and a new year of life.


Some people in Iran light fires at New Year and jump over them. This is done in hope that they receive good luck.


08:45 AM Sep 08 2012 |

friendlover

Turkey

Are we talking about traditions of nations or traditions of families??


As Turkish nation we have a lot of traditions but in my family have a few. Our tradition in my family is too meet in our village in summers every year and cook our traditional meals. 




06:11 AM Sep 08 2012 |

1 person likes this

wannicho

wannicho

China


  • yes, thats chinese spring festival , it’s  the time for celebrating the coming new year according to chinese lunar calendar,and most importhantly , for family to get together , children meet their parents , siblings meet each other and cousins visit one another .it’s the period of time u have all the best around you , full of good foods and new clothes , and kids get red-envelop from the older generations, it’s the time u can splurge as much as u like . thats a tradtion all chinese families are stick to .

  • it cese to be a pleasure when sth comes become a everyday routine. if wearing make-ups for women is the tradition in a company , somehow i will get tired of making-ups , i will just feel it’s a burden .i’ve been forced to do it . if the company give back us the choice to make up or not , i will alway love making up .


 




03:54 AM Sep 08 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

I like Christmas traditions.


Watching a movie Scrooge


Songs of jingle bells, reindeer, holly, mistletoe “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas’ ” :)


Christmas presents, Peace and Goodwill


Santa Claus


and by tradition, wake up early in the morning, on Boxing Day, at 3 a.m. run to the electronic appliances store and get in line to get some cool cadget at half price. :))


 

02:21 AM Sep 08 2012 |

Masbarar

MasbararSuper Member!

Turkey

We have so many traditions and these traditions are Asian traiditons.We are originally Central Asian as Azerbaijan,Kazakhistan,Uzbekistan,Turkmenistan,Kırghizistan(West Turkistan),Uigurs(East Turkistan),Hungaria,Mongolia,Moldovian,Bulgarian,Russian Turks.We have like other Asian people like Japanese,Korean,Chinese some similar traditions as not calling old people with their names.We have to say Big Brother,Sister even if the person is one year old than us.These words are the uniques words and you can not see those words in the European,Sami languages.And at our language you can see that the man is a higher degree than woman,must protect the family,be always attentive against dangers.Because Turkish people was always fighting,fighting,fighting between themselve and to the foreigners if they can succeed to unify.So the language shows the traditions of the nations.Some of traditions changed after chosing other religions.Our religion was Shamanism.After some of us chose Islam,some of us Christianism,some of us Ebraism.After that there was some difference between those tribes.For example Muslims don’t eat pork.But not all but generally the Turks drink beer,wine,etc.This is forbidden too.But I think in past we were drinking so much and maybe not eating porc.So we couldn’t stop to drink.Religion also changes the traditions.One month ago there was Turan Kurultai in Hungaria.All Turkish people met in Hungaria to keep alive the old traditions.250,000 people met there.


Traditons change,but If the majority doesn’t want to change them,it’s difficult to be different,to be against traditions.I can say that Turkish people still keep their traditions.I saw that in Japan too.They keep their traditions very well even if they are the third largest country economically in the world.

11:29 PM Sep 07 2012 |

LAILA ALI

LAILA ALI

Malaysia

Baset / thanks a lot for ur great time , I really appreciate that >> Brother : good night !

10:26 PM Sep 07 2012 |

1 person likes this

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