My son, Ali Adem, was born in İstanbul and is a dual citizen of both Turkey and the United States. He has traveled to America for vacations and has had a chance to experience some of the important holidays there. However, he is much more familiar with the holidays celebrated in Turkey because we have not lived for any length of time in my own homeland. It falls to me to make sure that he learns about important dates in American history and understands the importance of the celebrations around those dates.Next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It is a time for families to come together, not just to share a traditional meal, but also to reinforce family ties and build a sense of community. Friends and relations come together to enjoy a meal filled with favorite dishes and then spend the day relaxing, watching football games on television and perhaps even playing football together in the backyard. These are the memories I cherish from my childhood, and I want to make sure that Ali Adem has similar experiences to remember as he grows up in his multicultural world.
Since the holiday falls during the week and, of course, is not observed in Turkey, we will most likely have our own Thanksgiving dinner on the weekend to make it easier to have a day together to enjoy our day of celebration. In preparation, we are reading stories about Thanksgiving together and making decorations to place on our table. Turkeys, of course, figure into the holiday motif and are fun and easy to draw and cut out. He especially likes to hear me talk about the Thanksgivings I remember from my childhood, some filled with numerous family members, others spent just with my immediate family in Mexico, where we spent the holiday for many years.
For those of us living away from our homelands, celebrating our holidays is our link to our homelands, families and pasts. These are important parts of who we are and we should try to carry on our traditions as best we can. Sometimes it takes a little advanced planning in order to do so, but it is well worth the effort. If there are particular foods that are eaten on holidays that are unavailable in-country, you can plan ahead and bring them back with you, have them sent from abroad or have a friend bring them along on a visit. If there are special decorations used, stock up on them when you are in your home country, or make them at home. Children love to create decorations and this is a good way to teach them while having fun. Listen to music that is specific to the holiday and teach your children the songs you sang as a child. If there are traditional costumes for the holiday, make sure to wear them and teach your children the meanings behind them. It is also good to try and share the holiday, or have a holiday party, with other families who observe the day.
I want to ensure that if Ali Adem moves to the United States, he will already be familiar with the days that are important there. It is important to teach our children about our heritage and to keep traditions alive. It can be hard to do this in different cultures, but with a little planning and creativity, it can be something fun the family does together. Learning about our holidays keeps our traditions alive and maintains a link to our homelands. It also teaches our children to respect and love their own culture. This, in turn, can teach them respect for all cultures and traditions. One of the advantages of being an expat is learning about and experiencing life in other cultures. But we must not lose sight of our own traditions in the process.
Send comments and questions to k.hamilton@todayszaman.com.
