Traditions and Beliefs

A  tradition  is a practice, custom, or  story  that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, originally without the need for a  writing system. Traditions are often presumed to be  ancient, unalterable, and deeply important, though they may sometimes be much less â€Å"natural† than is presumed. Some traditions were deliberately invented for one reason or another, often to highlight or enhance the importance of a certain institution. Traditions may also be changed to suit the needs of the day, and the changes can become accepted as a part of the ancient tradition. Folk Beliefs, otherwise known as â€Å"Superstitious Beliefs†, forms part of a people's value systems and culture. They basically reflect the customs, traditions, and mores of a group, which has been based on religious beliefs, opinions, or popular old practices. Also they tell of how a people view the unknown and the Means to appease the gods that control the future. Filipinos still adhere to numerous widely-held folk beliefs that have no scientific or logical basis but maybe backed-up by some past experiences (yet can be dismissed as mere coincidence). Some are still practiced to this day primarily because of ‘there's nothing to lose if we comply' attitude while the others are totally ignored for it seemed downright ridiculous. A number of Filipinos have Folk Beliefs about life, family, luck, wealth, etc. Some of which were presented by the four groups last Monday, April 26, 2010. I have noticed that almost all groups presented folk beliefs about courtship and marriage. Courtship is one that is still being practiced among the strictest of the Filipino families. This is performed by the male (who is the suitor since it is wrong to do it the opposite way) visiting the home of the female. In the olden days, courtship doesn't start until the male suitor had obtained permission from the parents. This was done with the male suitor being accompanied by another respectable elder and approaching either the father or the mother of the female and obtaining permissions days in advanced to visit at a particular day and time. Nowadays this form of getting the parent's permission is still being practiced in the provinces, however, due to western influences, there are ome variations more adaptable to the modern times. One alternative is to make a phone call, asking for the parents' or guardian's permission through an elder to schedule a visit. Another way is for the suitor to approach the parents in a public place, and informally asking for permission to visit. Either way, it is to show proper respect to ask for permission prior to the formal visit. Proper ly greeting the parents by placing the back of the right hand of the parents to the suitor's forehead is practiced to show respect. This is called pagmamano in Tagalog. When the permission has been granted, the suitor whether accompanied by a friend or an elder will visit the girl's home and offers gifts. Gift bags or boxes of goodies or Filipino snacks purchased from a local store and flowers are generally given. The snacks or other goods are offered to the family of the girl then the flowers and special sweets (like chocolate or candies) are given to the girl. In a strict Filipino home, during courtship, the parents are present during the first visit. This is the opportunity to get to know each other. This is sometimes called courting the parents first and winning their hearts and approval then letting the boy or suitor court the girl. Subsequent visits are then scheduled if all went well during the first visit and, depending on how long the courtship will last; the answer is given by the girl with the parents' knowledge as well. After the courtship stage and the girl decides that she also would like to take the suitor's offer of love and commitment, then the girl will give the favorable answer to the suitor. At times it takes months before the answer is given. In the olden days, strict parents would sometimes give a series of tests, having the suitor do some chores like fetching some water from the well, cutting firewood to be used for cooking dinner, helping the father of the girl do some yard or farm work. Nowadays, a more modern approach is being performed by the suitor whereby he offers gentlemanly help to the parents, sometimes carrying groceries as he sees them walking down the streets, offering them a ride if he happens to be driving their way, doing other favors that can help win their favor and better his chances of getting the girl's love as well. After the girl announces to the parents that she is ready to be engaged the parents would be around to congratulate the suitor. From then on, the suitor is treated like a member of the family. Sometimes, even before marriage, the suitor is introduced to the friends and relatives of the girl's immediate family as future part of the family or future son-in-law. Engagements may take longer than a year, and then the date shall be set for marriage. During the waiting period they are free to go on dates, at times with a chaperone. Nowadays, after the first few chaperoned dates they can date on their own, especially those who live in the cities where it is not as strict as in the rural areas of the country. When the two decides that they are ready to get married, then the pamamanhikan (official request of the male and his parents or guardians for the girl's hand in marriage) begins. This is usually done in the evening after dinner. Then, if the parents of the girl agree, they will give them their blessings and set the date of the wedding. The engagement sometimes last from several months to a couple of years due to extensive preparations. The majority of Filipino weddings are now Catholic weddings, but some native traditions remain. Most have special â€Å"sponsors† who act as witnesses to the marriage. The principal sponsors could be godparents, counselors, a favorite uncle and aunt, even a parent. Secondary sponsors handle special parts of the ceremony, such as the candle, cord and veil ceremonies. Candle sponsors light two candles, which the bride and groom use to light a single candle to symbolize the joining of the two families and to invoke the light of Christ in their married life. Veil sponsors place a white veil over the bride's head and the groom's shoulders, a symbol of two people clothed as one. Cord sponsors drape the yugal (a decorative silk cord) in a figure-eight shape–to symbolize everlasting fidelity–over the shoulders of the bride and groom. The groom gives the bride 13 coins, or arrhae, blessed by the priest, as a sign of his dedication to his wife's well-being and the welfare of their future children. The four groups, as far as I can remember, presented more beliefs and traditions about death, marriage, life and luck. These were: †¢ The table should not be cleared while an unmarried woman is still eating because she might end up an old maid. †¢ Do not sweep your floor at night or else you are sweeping your luck out of the house. †¢ If one cuts his fingernails at night, a member of the family will die. †¢ One must not organize teams of 3 or 13, otherwise one member will die. †¢ Eating Pancit on their birthday will enable them to live longer. †¢ The use of the word â€Å"Po† or â€Å"Opo† means â€Å"Yes† in a very polite manner. It is usually said by a young person to an elder. Holding a family reunion to celebrate a birthday in the family, fiestas, for Christmas or New Year's Celebration. †¢ One must be able to have â€Å"handa† during feast days. The first belief tells me that when you clear the table while an unmarried woman is still eating, that woman will stay single all her life. I still don’t believe in such belief because I have met and seen single women getting married even if this clearing of tables while they ate happened to them. This is also my very first time to hear such belief. The second belief is one I heard when I was still very young. I was at my grandfather’s house at Negros Oriental one summer. One night, there housemaid swept the floor and was scolded by my grandfather’s sister for doing such act. I wondered why and so I asked my parents about it. They, too, didn’t know why sweeping floors during night was not allowed. Now, I know why. I still don’t believe in such belief although luck in that house has gone in and out. I believe it’s just coincidental when someone sweeps during the night and then you become very unlucky in the future. The third belief is somehow coincidental for me when you cut your fingernails and someone in your family dies. I have also tried a lot of times already cutting my nails at night and I have also tried losing a member of my family already but I don’t think it was because of what I did. I don’t see any connection between cutting fingernails during the night and death. With the fourth belief, I have heard this since I was in my grade school years. I still hear such until now. I usually go around with two of my very close friends. We always take pictures of ourselves yet not one of us has died, fortunately. I was told that whoever is in the middle will die first. It sounds pretty scary at first especially when I was still very young and innocent. However, as I grew up and hear such, it becomes lame to me and somehow funny because I have had lots of experience already with having two friends with me. The group presented this by three people who was about to take a picture of themselves and then their friend told them they shouldn’t be three otherwise the one in the middle will die. And so they invited more people to join them so they wouldn’t be three. The fifth belief tells me that eating Pancit will make your life longer. I always hear such especially during festivities and celebrations. On birthday celebrations, there is always pancit on the table because it is said that this will make you live longer on earth. They always say â€Å"pansit, pampahaba ng buhay†. I’m pretty sure it is such because pancit is long. We don’t usually practice such tradition in our family. The sixth belief shows respect to the older people when you say Opo or Po. It is our tradition to say such. We also â€Å"mano† or kiss the right hand of an older person when we greet them. Actually, you don't really kiss that hand. You just bow a bit, and gently take the older person's right hand with your right hand, and move it towards your own forehead. Sometimes, it's the back of their hand that touches your forehead. In our family, we practice such tradition as a sign of respect. When we got to our province in Negros and get to meet with the very many relatives of ours, we â€Å"mano† every older relative. Other relatives of ours especially my aunts and uncles who are in their late 20’s and early 30’s wont let us â€Å"mano† them because they don’t want to be â€Å"old†. The seventh and eight traditions have been practiced for years by almost all Filipinos. These happenings bring family members together especially those who are living away or are working in different places and rarely have the chance or time to come home. The presence of family visitors and reuniting members delight the other members of the family, aside from stories and gossips to tell. And, if a visitor is a foreigner or a relative who comes from abroad, the family is very proud especially when the neighbors are around, and offers everything just to please the visitor. Once the visitor is gone, the family will either praise or mock the visitor. It’s mostly not the presence but the presents. We always celebrate feast days by having handa and inviting people to eat inside the house. In our family, we do the same during our village’s fiesta. We invite friends, relatives and neighbors to dine and celebrate with us. Such tradition brings families and friends closer and patches up the times you missed together. With the very many traditions and beliefs of the Filipinos, I can say we only practice a few. Our family is not the type who believes in such beliefs. We only practice those traditions that are very common like celebrating festivities and occasions and giving of gifts during special days. I don’t believe in these beliefs because they sound ridiculous for me but I respect them and the people who believe in them. We were not raised believing in folk beliefs because they are mere stories and doesn’t have any connection with the real world. Sometimes, I wonder why people have made so many beliefs. Is it their way of scaring people especially beliefs about death and misfortune? I believe it is only you who can bring luck to yourself and it is not harmful to believe and practice such beliefs and traditions. I just learned that folk beliefs are not real and not practical and one’s life must not always work around with beliefs.

European advancements in warfare Essay

The Inter-war period between World War I and World War II was a time that governments relied on treaties and pacts to maintain peace rather than wage war. Some of these treaties and pacts did more to instigate war than to help deter it. Some examples of these are the Versailles Treaty, which basically all but dismantled the German military structure, another example is that of the Paris Peace Act of 1928, which was † a voluntary renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy†. Because treaties such as these, the reciprocal effect of any deviation caused tensions which eventually resulted in global conflict. What we will discuss in the following essay will cover weapon and doctrinal advancements, which were intended to return decisiveness, back to the business of waging war, with minimal losses of equipment and human life. During the inter-war period, militaries were primarily led by officers who were conservative in their approach to military structure and combat. One notable and very important aspect that became a topic of much debate during the period between WWI and WWII was that of armored and motorized warfare. Not only armored vehicles such as tanks but also motorized vehicles for logistical purposes as well. The conservative stance regarding these new weapons systems, which were introduced during WWI, was that they were to be utilized in a support role for the infantry and cavalry. This came at a time when most of the armies of the world were transitioning away from horse-drawn supply trains and tactical cavalry, due to the modernization of motorized military vehicles. Several leaders who opposed the conservatives on the role of armor and motorized warfare went on to become some of the most well known military writers ever. Two of these men were British General J.F.C. Fuller and British Captain B.H. Liddell Hart. Both of these British officers wrote and created doctrine that would be instrumental in the waging of armored warfare for not only WWII but also well into the twenty-first century. Instead of using tanks and tracked artillery for nothing more than infantry support they believed in, and created doctrine that placed an emphasis on fast moving offensive operations that would strike deep into the enemy’s territory, so fast as to render the enemies attempt to regain a structured  defense or counter attack futile. This ironically would be the template for the German blitzkrieg, which was implemented by Heinz Guderian after extensive research of Fuller and Liddell Hart’s doctrinal advancements. Although the British had well made tanks which could carry out this type of warfare, Guderian took this to another level with improvements to tank engines and armament and also the structuring of motorized divisions to carry out this new brand of warfare. It was believed by these men, that one tank could do what it would take a company of infantryman to do, and more! Advancements in the inter-war period were not only on ground fighting doctrine and weaponry, but also in the naval aspects as well. During the 1920’s, the Washington Naval Treaty imposed strict guidelines upon the navies of the U.S., Japan, France and Italy. These guidelines kept ships to certain regulations that limited the size of guns and of the countries entire navy itself. What this did basically caused atrophy in naval progression. In the 1930’s when Hitler’s Germany openly disavowed compliance with the Versailles Treaty and began the re-galvanizing of it’s army and navy, it caused the nations which would become Germany’s enemies to begin changing doctrine and methods in the conduct of naval operations. Also, the arrival of the aircraft carrier in almost every advanced navy created new threats with aircraft. The Japanese utilized aircraft carriers heavily in the war in the Pacific, as well did the United States. No two countries during WWII put so much emphasis on the carrier. What the carrier did was to allow aircraft to be launched from a ship far away into either enemy territory or enemy seas to attack either ships or targets on land without risking the loss of a naval ship. This was a naval doctrine created during the inter-war period. Air forces also went through extensive change during the inter-war period. First, the advancements of aircraft themselves in this period were perhaps the largest and most significant technological advancement of all. Airplanes had developed into short-range fighters, which could attack with speeds that were un-thought of in the era of bi-planes. Also, there was the advent of long range fighters to escort long-range bombers, which could hold large amounts of ordinance to drop on the enemy’s cities. Because of these  advancements, countries began racing to create the best aircraft that they could make. Each country would create superior aircraft in an effort to control the sky. The two countries that set the pace in this regard were Germany and Japan. Both enemies to Britain and the US, these two countries pushed the Allies to make formidable opposition and air defense systems. The period between WWI and WWII was a period of radical change to doctrine and weaponry. The creation of treaties and the League of Nations served as nothing more than a hopeful buffer to deter the waging of war. By creating these strict guidelines, the world did nothing more than antagonize one another to the point of global conflict. Advancements made during this period were a direct result of men who knew that peace could never truly be attained with peace.

McDonalds Products and Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

McDonalds Products and Marketing - Assignment Example There are also a few items available for sale that are part of the branding of the corporation in the form of t-shirts, mugs, and other such items. One of the more popular items is the ‘Happy Meal Toy’, which has obtained a status as a collectible item. Therefore, the item is not only of interest to children but to adults who become involved with this type of collecting. According to the annual report of 2007, the three most important products of the year were the Snack Wrap, the introduction of McGriddles in Japan, and the McCafe concept which is working toward selling a great deal of coffee in the form of specialty coffees and lattes [p.11]. Revenue was increased in Argentina with the introduction of ’El Placer del Momento’ which were designed around a rotating flavor schedule [p. 15]. The most successful ‘Happy Meal Toy’ campaign of 2007 was the tie in with Shrek the Third, in which 115 countries had participating McDonald’s franchises [p. 17]. With creative products and items that are created specifically for the markets within a country, such as a snack wrap that has shrimp as a protein base for Japan [15], McDonald’s has a consistent record of using The McDonald’s corporation does not publish its product sales figures, therefore it is not possible to build an accurate Boston Matrix. However, with information gathered from the 2007 Annual Report, a representation of what those figures could look like is made within the above matrix. McDonald’s has determined that proprietary information will not be released in any form even for use by students in a research project [Student, 2009] According to the report, Big Macs, French Fries and the rest of the core menu are responsible for 75% of the total revenue [2007 Annual, 2008 11].  Examples of where some of the products might possibly fit into this type of a matrix are used in the above grid.

Its a Job Application Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Its a Job Application Paper - Essay Example Having acquired substantial professional insight through the experience and observation gained in my clinical placements, I have been able to observe that this leads to improved outcomes. My Nursing Bachelor degree has given me an outstanding knowledge of conventional nursing practices, caring values and latest technology. Throughout my clinical placements, I learned a variety of nursing skills in the profession, while developing the capacity to think and learn practically. I have also been able to expand knowledge in an array of practice settings and have been trained in clinical reasoning and problem-solving. As a dedicated nurse, devoted to working in the demanding career, working at there would develop active participation that call for critical thinking, patience and organizational skills that are prerequisites in delivering a perfect job in every healthcare center. Based on the its mission statement â€Å"To be the top provider of primary and specialized tertiary care, accompany by an appropriate array of inpatient, outpatient and outreach services that improve health and meet community needs,† as a graduate nurse, it can be credible to learn and participate in the nursing programs presented at the medical center that will advance and build my nursing skills. The busy medical center would increase proficiency and efficiency in giving my services in diverse experiences within my scholarly career. Some of the services given at medical center of vast importance in my professional development and career includes Ortho and Spine, level 1 trauma care, Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Cancer Therapy, Urology, Psychiatric services, Gastroenterology, wound and broad stroke centers correspondingly. The supposed weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities gained after would increase the ability to convey my skills in different departments in the nursing career. As an active youth with the interest, I will be of vast importance at the medical

Us or inter nation retailer that has entered the Canadian market Assignment

Us or inter nation retailer that has entered the Canadian market within the 5 years - Assignment Example The company was started by Do Won (Don) Chang along with his better half Jin Sook. Their first store opened in 1984 and today it has more than 500 outlets/stores across the globe. The company operates as private limited company and top management primarily consists of family members only. Do Won Chang operates as CEO of Forever 21, the position of Chief Merchandising Officer is held by Jin Sook Chang, wife of Do Won Chang and those of Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Visual Officer are held by Linda and Esther, (Chang’s daughters). The American retail chain was founded in California, in 1984 by Do Won Chang and his wife (Jin Sook Chang). The store was sized 900square feet and located in Figueroa Street and by the end of 1st year; sales of Forever 21 had risen from $35,000 to about $700000. The founder further reinvested and expanded into new stores. In 1989 the brand opened its 11th retail outlet at Panorama Mall in California and improved its (presence by increasing the size of the store to 5000 square feet. In 1995, Forever 21 opened its first store outside California and reached a total of about 40 stores by 1997. In 1999, Forever 21 had the opportunity to create its own prototypical store in a mall with display of merchandise and redesigning the complete store and increased the size of the store to 9000 square feet. By 2001, Forever 21 expanded drastically and had opened its flagship stores in Miami, Texas, Chicago, Edmonton, Canada and Los Angeles. The average size of the stores was 24000 sq feet and offe red one stop shopping experience to its customers. Forever 21 ranked amongst the 50 largest privately held companies. By 2005, the company had launched 355 stores nationwide and continues to do so (Forever 21-a, n.d). Currently the brand has about 500 stores and operates (from various locations) Financially, the company has been

Argumentative research paper arguing how negativly the meadia

Argumentative arguing how negativly the meadia influences the masses during times of war - Research Paper Example Yet, both politics and journalism make claims to a standard of objectivity that often hides the political bias in the construction of â€Å"social fact†. It is through shared communication methods such as literature, newspapers, the internet, tv news, etc. that people in modern societies form their views on complex political issues that may affect the lives of millions. Nowhere is this more exemplified than in issues of international relations or foreign policies, and the conduct of war – which has led nations across the world into millions of deaths and untold destruction primarily through the dissemination of political views and ideologies throughout large populations that permitted organized military violence by the State. In general, the television news and newspapers frame the discourse by publishing a type of collective debate between opposing viewpoints as they relate to current events and pertinent issues of social governance in a democracy. As Noam Chomsky writ es in â€Å"The Culture of Terrorism,† "The leveling of discourse within the ideological system is an extremely important matter. Part of the genius of American democracy has been to ensure that isolated individuals face concentrated state and private power alone, without the support of an organizational structure that can assist them in thinking for themselves or entering into meaningful political action, and with few avenues for public expression of fact or analysis that might challenge approved doctrine...adherence to doctrinal truth confers substantial reward: not only acceptance within the system of power and a ready path to privilege, but also the inestimable advantage of freedom from the onerous demands of thought, inquiry and argument. Conformity frees one from the burden of evidence, and rational argument is superfluous while one is marching in an approved parade.† (Chomsky, 1988) The media act as a â€Å"fourth branch† of government, essential to the he althy functioning of a democracy systematically. Minority political groups may be forced to resort to other means to organize their viewpoints and distribute them popularly if they cannot gain mass-media access, but there is little practical guarantee that minority communication channels can compete with mass-media communication networks that dominate the public construction of issues debated in modern societies politically. This is one way that political hegemony may operate in repressing views unfavorable to the status quo of hierarchical power distributions. The media never covers a war neutrally with just the facts. They report stories or fabricate ones that they believe will gain ratings or sell papers. This is the definition of â€Å"Yellow Journalism,† and it can be seen historically as the way that the public was rallied to war, from the early days of Theodore Roosevelt’s â€Å"Rough Rider† raids on Cuba to the modern conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. F rom the establishment of the news empire by William Randolph Hearst, mass-media news sources increasingly pursued a centralized, corporate model of operations that mirror in many ways the development of the superpowers themselves. The Hearst papers had the budget required to â€Å"

Reflective Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective Analysis - Essay Example I succeeded in hanging the infusion and had it working properly with no hitches or messes. When I was preparing to leave the patient’s bedside, my instructor asked if I had forgotten something. I panicked silently in my head and mentally reenacted all the steps 4 more times. I paused before answering in the negative. The instructor asked me for a second time, and again I replied in the negative. The dialogue was repeated 2 more times before the patient finally turned to me and politely (and jokingly) quipped , â€Å"She’s obviously trying to tell you something†. I still couldn’t put my finger on it. My instructor said, â€Å"Well, great work on the IV, but if Mr. Green wants to get out of bed to use the restroom or anything else she will have to jump (and maybe fall).† I stared at the bed, and it was still at waist-height! I had become so engrossed in my task that I forgot that the instructor had raised his bed for the IV troubleshoot. I knew that something was amiss somewhere, but the dots wouldn’t connect. My instructor was not the type that corrected students just for the sake, so I immediately felt that I had made a mistake somewhere. The issue at hand was ethical because it was covered in the nursing handbook/code of ethics. As such, I had broken an ethical rule which required that a patient’s bed be lowered to its lowest or most appropriate setting. My values and beliefs in relation to this event are all related to my practice as a nurse. I believe that a nurse must observe the nursing code of ethics at all times. It is the guiding principle of the practice. The issue was a very serious one because it is clearly stipulated in the nursing code of ethics that the nurse must always make the patient feel safe and ensure the patient’s safety by doing things like lowering and raising the bed height as is required. In my case, the bed height had been temporarily raised by the instructor and I