Since I don't have class on Friday, there you go, my school holiday starts from today. Yeah!
Every year this time students from primary school to University have one week off end of October. Besides, right after Halloween is La Toussant, the day for the dead one, where some people will go visit the grave of their love one. Since this year La Toussant will be on Thursday, a lot of people will take Friday off to have 4 days continuous vacation. They call this action as "faire le pont", do the bridge.
I was having this conversation with a classmate and was sad with his reaction:
Me: So during La Toussant, what are you doing? Do you visit your grandparents' grave?
Him: I don't care about dead people, there is no need to go visit them when they are dead.
Me: But you can reminiscing the time you had with them, think about how much your grandma loved you.
Him: She is dead, nothing else is important.
In contrast with the Asian culture where you will see kids and family visit the grave during the Cheng Ming festival, here you see old people go alone visiting and cleaning their husband or their wife's grave. There is no such thing as "pay respect" by visiting the grave.
I just need to remind myself that if my husband is dead before me, nobody will visit my grave when I'm dead.
I think culture is different between Asian and western.. :)
ReplyDeleteBUT I think the most important thing is treat our parents well when they still here...
I know how you feel since I have a American hubby too.He told me when he dead just burial him in jungle or six feet under but don't burn him to ashes.He said he don't care as long as he not burn to ashes.That is how he think,too sad.I can't change his mind bcoz he grow in american steril culture but I wanna to change my dotter mentality.So,don't worry now,just teach your children our asian culture as much as you can.Starting with ourlanguage first.I try my best to teach my dotter eat ,drink and speak our chinese language but it's up to her to apply it in future.I hope when I die,she will visit me at the temple.Btw,thanks for dropping at my blog.You have wonderful blogs:)
ReplyDeletehmm.. we asians feel sad for what they think. But ever wonder if they feel the same about asians, they maybe think it's sad that we still reminiscing the past and living in memories of the dead. for them, when you are dead is the end of the journey, maybe? :)
ReplyDeleteI think for them it is more like...time to move on. In stead of 'hanging' on to the past.
ReplyDeleteIf good memories...sure no problem. But for some, it may bring back bad memories.