The last day of October, i.e. the coming Thursday is Halloween, a US originated holiday that allows kids to go trick or treating. In other words, kids get to dress up as their favorite characters and go to neighbors house and demand candy for not playing a trick on them. Its that time of year when kids get to eat a variety of candy in virtually unlimited quantity.
Yesterday Reia mentioned that her cousin had gone for a Halloween party. Not unusual until you realize that her cousin is in India. The last effect of Globalization was brought about by hallmark and the card companies exported all available holidays worldwide to increase sales of their cards and even invented a few.
This round of globalization seems to have been triggered by the availability and constant consumption of global visual imagery. Most kids are now interconnected with friends across the world in a manner where they can not only exchange e-mails, but visually communicate both online using apps such as Skype, and offline such as Facebook, Instagram and the recent favorite of Teenagers, Snapchat.
This has contributed in a large part to the globalization of holidays and festivals. Diwali, Navratri, Holi, ... are promoted and celebrated with greater gusto in US colleges than in Indian colleges. There is also the trend of reverse cultural bonding. When you have something, you don't want it. And when you don't you yearn for it. This is visible in the various ethnic groups in the US. The Indian parents want their children to not only learn at least one Indian language, they also want them to learn Indian culture.
On an average, Indian Americans know more about Indian culture than Indians. And this is probably true about the other cultures. Its very visible amongst many ethnicities, the Chinese, the Irish, the Korean, the French, ...
If all of this is reasonably accurate, it leads me to 2 interesting conclusions. Both of which our ancestors have known for years. You yearn for what you don't have. And the grass is always greener on the other side.
Yesterday Reia mentioned that her cousin had gone for a Halloween party. Not unusual until you realize that her cousin is in India. The last effect of Globalization was brought about by hallmark and the card companies exported all available holidays worldwide to increase sales of their cards and even invented a few.
This round of globalization seems to have been triggered by the availability and constant consumption of global visual imagery. Most kids are now interconnected with friends across the world in a manner where they can not only exchange e-mails, but visually communicate both online using apps such as Skype, and offline such as Facebook, Instagram and the recent favorite of Teenagers, Snapchat.
This has contributed in a large part to the globalization of holidays and festivals. Diwali, Navratri, Holi, ... are promoted and celebrated with greater gusto in US colleges than in Indian colleges. There is also the trend of reverse cultural bonding. When you have something, you don't want it. And when you don't you yearn for it. This is visible in the various ethnic groups in the US. The Indian parents want their children to not only learn at least one Indian language, they also want them to learn Indian culture.
On an average, Indian Americans know more about Indian culture than Indians. And this is probably true about the other cultures. Its very visible amongst many ethnicities, the Chinese, the Irish, the Korean, the French, ...
If all of this is reasonably accurate, it leads me to 2 interesting conclusions. Both of which our ancestors have known for years. You yearn for what you don't have. And the grass is always greener on the other side.
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