Let's talk about our culture:

November 2008

Day of the Dead

In November we celebrate the Day of the Dead, a very important celebration in the Hispanic culture. For some this celebration may appear to be a bit macabre or grotesque. To others the dancing images of skeletons and the dead may seem irreverent or inappropriate.

But this can all be explained from a cultural perspective and it is not as negative as it may appear to some people. Deep down, this feast consists of a very profound religious belief—one that is very Christian but also in harmony with Aztec beliefs—that death is not final or definitive. There are others ways of living and for Christians this translates into the resurrection Christ attained for us and which we await. In the Catholic Church, celebration of the Day of the Dead is precisely that: recognizing the part of the church no longer in this world but still very much with us, triumphant or anticipating the fullness that is the life of Christ.

For the Aztecs life was not something linear, but circular. It was an unending cycle in which at the time of death another life would emerge and every year it was celebrated by visiting those who were no longer present here on earth.
To make fun of death by having a Day of the Dead feast is nothing more than an affirmation of unending life. It is recognition of the life that we have been given by those who have been with us, our “little dead ones” and a celebration of their life and presence in this world in a continuous manner.
Some countries have a custom of holding celebration at the cemetery. In the cases where this is not an option, candles, flowers, photos, and items from those we are remembering are placed on an altar.  In Puerto Rico, there is a tradition to light a votive candle for each one of our dead and pray throughout the night until the candles burn out.

In every one of those cases, the Day of the Dead is also a good time to accept and take a look at our own physical mortality and celebrate our birth, through Baptism, into an everlasting life .

OCTOBER 2008:

More than just keeping time

One of the most criticized aspects of the Hispanic culture is what is often perceived as a lack of formality or punctuality. That is, when someone says they will do something or be present in a certain place at a specific time, it is considered a lack of respect or informality not to attend at the agreed upon hour. There are several reasons for this. What may be considered in one culture as a lack of formality, in another it responds precisely to one of the most beautiful aspects of the culture, paying attention to anyone who appears before us even if we were not expecting the visit. Some people understand that time is more important than clocks. Many times a person we are waiting for does not arrive and simply apologizes saying “someone arrived unexpectedly.” A visitor, due to our sense of hospitality is never asked to leave or given an excuse that we had to leave…They have arrived, are there now, and you have to take care of them. At the moment, the one who is present becomes more important.

All that is well, but if you want to reside in a culture in which greater attention is paid to time and the value it may have, even in economic terms, we must learn to manage things in a way that we don’t disappoint the people who also deserve our respect. A very simple way to do this is by informing the person who is waiting for us that something has come up and we will not arrive at the scheduled time. Today, thanks to computers and cell phones, communications are simple and fast. It’s true that we have to care for other people and sending a visitor off is simply unthinkable in our community, but we must also tend to others who are just as worthy of our attention.

Sometimes informality does not have to do with any specific purpose. It is simply the inability to communicate clearly. Many people in our culture, especially those not from the Caribbean, consider that saying no or saying something that will not be well received, to be a crucial fault. They smile and say yes but in an evasive manner and they think the other person will interpret their behavior as meaning no. The problem is, it isn’t like that and the other person may often interpret things from their own cultural perspective. The result is worst than if you had said no from the beginning, since the person left waiting becomes angry for wasting time or for preparing more food than was necessary.

Resolving these situations requires a learning process from both sides, but the best thing is to learn to communicate clearly. No one assumes a wrong idea and everyone is pleased. 

SEPTEMBER 2008:

Let’s talk about our culture

Continuing with the stories, if you have a diary, it would be interesting to review the story of your own family. What have been the most important moments of this story? In what ways have they been marked by the experiences of immigration? What do you value the most? What moments ended up being the most unpleasant? How much have those sentiments and experiences been a result of values that are proper to the culture of Hispanic people?  What things would you not like to change?

For the Hispanic community, the family is an important nucleus. Family is not just the traditional nucleus of the father, mother and children, but all those who are related by blood or friendship. The great family is extended to neighbors, friends, and godparents.
The ideal of family is clear to everyone. And yet, in this society, each time we see more cases of broken families, divorces and separations. There are many more children and young people living in two families. It is also common in some countries of Latin America that the father have a second family with a second set of children. This was seem almost as normal, but in reality it is a terrible attack against the two women involved and for the children who will have to divide their father’s attention. This is logically not the ideal Christian family that we sometimes proclaim.

What are the feelings these types of families produce or could produce? Do you think it is normal to have situations like this? In what ways should our mentality change to be more in accordance with God’s thinking and with the culture we claim to celebrate?

AUGUST 2008:

Beyond beans and tortillas

There are times when we talk about our culture as the things we eat and the music we sing or hear. But we must go beyond this and examine our way of thinking, how we expressive ourselves and communicate, how we relate with others and how we live our faith.

Let’s begin with the basics. Hispanic cultures are primarily verbal cultures and these types of cultures are characterized by their sense of community. Since they didn’t have access to many books or writings, they received and transmitted their values in community. Communities would get together in the evenings around a fire to tell stories. Through these stories they would relay the things that were important to the community, what was acceptable and admired. Ways of thinking, acting and relating were also established.

Verbal cultures are much more “sensuous” then the literate ones since they learn more from sounds and their senses than from lineal thinking. They also depend more on memories since there are no books to research information and as such, things are repeated with rhythm and music so it can be easily remembered. It is a learning where much more of the senses come into use. The verbal culture depends greatly on stories with conflicting values or an internal conflict with a character and a resolution. It usually involves a symbolic battle between good and evil, but it is not expressed in philosophical terms. These are cultures where symbols are very important.

How important is it to you to share and know common traditions?
Formation directors with Hispanic candidates may not get to the bottom of things with these candidates by using philosophical analysis and abstract concepts, but through personal stories and a “parable”—examples that they can relate to. The short narrations often teach more because they relate to your experiences and feelings better than concepts.

Since the academic formation of these candidates literally derives a lot from the philosophical and cultural, it is also important to introduce them little by little to the classical philosophy, and help them to understand and practice the structure of traditional thinking in the western culture. But always give priority to the symbolism in the exercises of spirituality and above all recognize their way of communicating and understanding.