This year, people are paying Rs20,000 (that’s roughly USD124) in Pakistan to buy a turkey - a bird hardly part of the local cuisine, and for Thanksgiving - a holiday that has no connection to the local culture.
Blame it on social media or globalisation, but people are actually celebrating Thanksgiving in Pakistan. It is tempting to blame the elite for finding yet another opportunity to flaunt their wealth but, let’s admit, there’s not many who would say no to an opportunity to cook a big feast and share it with friends and family.
Is it necessarily a bad thing? I’m not sure although I admit it is strange for Pakistan to be adding another feast to a calendar already full of grand meals.
Borrowing from other cultures and societies is what humanity has done for a long time - often quite forcefully, in fact. Globalisation has just helped move the process along further as it makes sharing of information and goods all the more easier.
So what do we need to worry about? Will we lose our diverse customs in the face of traditions transcending borders through shopping malls?
If there is one thing globalisation has done, it is that it makes you feel "home" at malls and supermarkets. Walk into a shopping mall anywhere in the world and you won’t feel any different. The same heart-shaped streamers will dangle from the ceiling for Valentine’s Day, skeletons will lurk from corridors for Halloween and giant trees with presents wrapped in pretty paper will greet you for Christmas.
But when you are living in a new place, sometimes even the golden arches of McDonalds can tingle your nostalgia, a longing for the familiar, even if you felt mad that the multinational burger chain put your local burger joint out of business. No matter if you’re eating a spicy biryani, a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, a döner kebab, or a poke bowl, you may end up ordering a side of coke. We may resist making CocaCola and McDonalds part of our culture, but it’s safe to say that the ship has already sailed on this one.
So now, as cultures and traditions travel with us (present year excluded), are we creating a new kind of global culture where we become open to celebrating festivals that are strictly not ours? What are the core values our new traditions will be based on? Who will be included in and who will be excluded from our celebrations?
If you find yourself facing the same conflicting thoughts as I did above, perhaps you’ll find it interesting to read the articles below.
Do let us know what aspects of the global culture you’ve adopted and what are some trinkets of your culture that you fear losing.
Happy reading!
Hira - Editor - The Global Tiller
If you’d like to reflect on how cultures travels or the origins of American Thanksgiving, you may enjoy these:
…and now what?
Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s day… all these holidays have been spreading throughout the world. Some, since a long time and came through historical events, others spread through soft diplomacy and global influence. And every now and then, you hear people telling you that it makes no sense here. "It’s just about profit."
But I do think it raises a deeper question on the fundamental definition of culture.
What are the limits, the borders of a culture? When does a culture stops being itself through external influence? Are cultures bound to remain unchanged? Where do you draw the line to decide when the culture can absorb new elements and when it doesn’t?
I believe these questions are at the core of our global conversations right now. Populist movements surf on the idea that a culture is a rigidly defined ensemble that cannot sustain external influences at the risk of being “denatured”. On the other hand, globalism (which some may view in disdain and dismiss as a nonsensical trend) considers cultures to feed from each other, that you enrich yourself and your culture through diverse influences.
To tell you the truth, these views on culture have always been a mystery to me: I was born in Brittany, raised in France, lived in Tahiti most of my life, and was strongly influenced by the US culture (big Hollywood fan here!).
What’s my culture then? The Britton one? I don’t speak the language and I don’t know it well enough. The French one? Maybe, but this one already struggles to define itself by restricting it within its strong Judeo-Christian roots to which I don’t relate. Tahitian? I do feel connected to it but I’ve been told some times that I cannot claim it. So what then?
We try to live our diversity, here in Tahiti, by celebrating all cultures: the European New Year on January 1st, the Chinese New Year at the end of January, and slowly integrating Matari’i i nia - the Tahitian celebration for the changing season at the end of November. Three communities marking their own way to begin a new year.
So, should we refuse Thanksgiving for those who want to celebrate it? Should we impose Christmas on everyone and hold it against those who think, believe and worship differently? Maybe we can allow people to chose what their culture is, and then live and let live (referring to some vague UK influence here?).
I suppose there is no real answer to this question. And, instead of focusing on what should or should not happen, let’s all try to reflect first and foremost on what our culture really is, what do all cultures share together, and how can we make sure that, whatever barriers or limitations we draw to protect cultures, those never prevent us from talking, sharing and learning from each other.
If we can do so positively, kindly, empathetically and with lots of curiosity, I believe that is definitely something I could be thankful for!
Philippe - Founder - Pacific Ventury