Family Traditions No More
Holidays are generally about observing religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations or festivals. But as time passes, people are beginning to forego and abandon family traditions and values. While this global trend is becoming more and more evident, certain cultures still cling to old practices and attitudes. Although the portrayal of Chinese families in “My Grandmother’s Dumplings” is fairly accurate, Amy Ma fails to address how western and technology-centric views have altered people’s outlook on things like family gatherings, roles of family members, and attitude towards family members. Today, family gatherings no longer have meaning. In the story, Ma writes about the Spring Festival, which is, “The most important celebration of the year: It is a time to be with family, to visit friends and start life anew.” Ma describes her family traditions and how there’s a cultural meaning to the holidays. As an example of one of these rigid traditions, Ma states in her story that, “It was considered bad luck to do any work.” In contrast, many people today work on holidays such as Thanksgiving as others spend their holidays waiting in line on Black Friday rather than spending time with their family. The thirst for great deals has overshadowed the main idea of family bonding. This year, many people skipped Thanksgiving dinner and spending time with their families to camp out at stores to get shopping deals on Black Friday. Starting in the twentieth century, women have started to take a more active role outside of the household. Ma talks about the old traditional ways of life and how women dedicated their lives to catering to the family. “Plates were cleared and washed, and the women were clustered in the kitchen. The men, forbidden to enter the cooking area, dispersed to their separate corners.”