The Culture of a Spoken Word
My parents have been visiting me and my husband here in Grenada for the last few weeks. We have done some pretty amazing things exploring the island, hiking, swimming in the bluest water any of us have every seen and so much more. There was something about this trip that was unique. Through meeting new people and developing relationships with some of the locals at my parent’s resort and during the activities we did, we learned some very interesting information. Through personal stories and history of Grenada, we were informed how they pass on their knowledge through their families. It was so interesting to learn because this part of their culture is so often foreign in America. The way that many Grenadians pass on traditions and family heritage is through hands-on demonstration only when a child asks or shows an interest in something. Family cultural practices are not pushed on their children. Recipes and special uses for foods or herbs are not written down but spoken, practiced and memorized. One of our new friends told us a story about how she spent hours in town one day trying to learn a basket weaving technique from an older woman who had been doing this trade for years. After she paid a pretty penny for this lesson, she later went home to spend some time with her parents. Somehow, the same basket weaving technique was brought up in conversation with her father, who quickly revealed that he had known for years how to do the exact same process. She was shocked and asked him why he had never told her! He said that she had never asked or shown an interest before. She asked him to tell her how he would do it and he quickly responded that he could not TELL her, that he must SHOW her. It is the same with their recipes, how they make their food, what they do with certain foods for other uses than to just satisfy hunger. They see the value in taking the time to demonstrate each particular step of what they are teaching, which they learned from their parents or grandparents which they also learned from their parents or grandparents. Whether it is wood or calabash carving, basket weaving, sewing, cooking, there is significance in the way they do things that they want passed on through their families. It is quite incredible!
Now, I’m not saying don’t pass on your family traditions or crafts just because your kids don’t necessarily ask about them. But, be conscious of the uniqueness of showing these traditions and how special it can be to experience this memory with the younger generation instead of just passing on a recipe or sending an email with the instructions on how to do something! Be hands-on! Create memories! Really BE with those you are present with! And pass on your family traditions!
What family traditions or family crafts have you taught to your children through spoken words and demonstration?
