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Culture Lesson Four. Celebrations, Weddings, and Childhood in America. Idioms related to age. Sweet 16 Describing a 16 th birthday party, usually for a girl Over the Hill When someone turns 40 or 50, we may say they are “over the hill” Bite the Dust An informal to say someone has died.
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Culture Lesson Four Celebrations, Weddings, and Childhood in America
Idioms related to age • Sweet 16 • Describing a 16th birthday party, usually for a girl • Over the Hill • When someone turns 40 or 50, we may say they are “over the hill” • Bite the Dust • An informal to say someone has died
Idioms related to childhood: • “knee high to a grasshopper” • That was long ago, when your grandpa was knee high to a grasshopper. • Terrible twos • I’m ready for my son grows out of this stage. No wonder they are called the “Terrible Twos!” • Rug rats • Help get the rug rats ready for school.
In the First Year… • The Baby “Shower” • The Birth of the Baby • The Baby’s Baptism or Dedication* • Baby’s First Christmas, etc. • 1st Birthday (different from China) • Smash cake, especially for the baby
In A Student’s Life… • Losing the first tooth • First Day of School • School events and activities • Graduations (different levels) • School dances (Prom, Homecoming) • 16, 18, 21—Birthdays • First Job, Job Hunting
Young Adults • Courtship • Engagement • Wedding Shower • Rehearsal Dinner • Wedding • Wedding Reception (Dance) • Honeymoon
Adult Life • Promotion at Work, Mid-life Crisis (?) • Moving/House-warming • Anniversaries • Important birthdays (40, 50, 65, 100) • Retirement/Senior Benefits • Elderly Life • Death/Funeral
Three Important Terms:Shower, Reception, & Party • Shower—Baby, Bridal, Card • Card showers common for elderly people • Reception—Wedding, Anniversary, Open House • This term is a bit more formal • Party—Birthday, Christmas, Halloween, Slumber • This term is a bit more casual
What do we give for these events? Some examples… • Baby shower: toys, clothes, books • Wedding: household items, money • Birthdays: cards, something small but nice that suits the person well • Anniversaries: depends on the year… • Death: flowers for the deceased, flower and sympathy cards for the family
Word Origins:Honeymoon • In ancient times, it was a custom for newly married couples in some cultures to drink a potion containing honey for each day of the first month they were married (or the first moon of their marriage). It has come to mean that happy, blissful time when a man and woman first marry.
What are the meanings of these words? • Dating • Casually seeing one or more people • Courtship • Strictly seeing one person you intend to marry • Engagement • Period of preparation before the wedding • Wedding/Marriage—the wedding day
Bride Groom Flower girl Maid of honor (or Matron of honor) Bridesmaid (s) Minister Ring-bearer Accompanist Soloist Groomsmen Attendants Usher (s) Candle lighters Best man Here are the missing words:
Common differences… • 1. Number of Children per family • 2. American stress individualism and independence • 3. Americans typically think of self BEFORE society • 4. Americans often own a house with some land or a yard
Newborn = first month Infant = formal, 1st year Baby = 1st to 2nd year, informal Toddler = 2-3 years Preschooler = 4-5 years Child = 6-12 years (or general 1-12) Teenager = 13-19 years (“teens”) Adolescent = 13-19 years, more formal Ages of Children
American Education… Preschool and Kindergarten l Elementary School l Middle School/Junior High School l High School l University/Vo-Tech/College
Chores Sibling rivalry Diet Family reunions Family vacations rituals Moving to a new house/city Pets Medical care Common things at home:
Games and sports Clubs Art, music Dances After-school jobs Summer Activities Friendship, early “love” Common things at school:
Common Problems:Early Childhood… • Nightmares • Sleepwalking • Bed-wetting (10% still have this problem at age six) • Shyness
Common Problems:School-age… • Bullying • Learning disorders (ex. Mozart, Tom Cruise, the Wright Brothers, Edison, da Vinci, Disney, Henry Ford) • Obesity—extremely overweight • In 1982, 4% of children overweight • In 2001, 25-33% overweight, depending on race
Common Problems:Teens… • Drugs • Many marijuana addicts start using by age 14 • Eating disorders • Early 90’s: 10 mill. females, 1 mill. males • Average model, 5’11”, 117 lbs. • Average woman, 5’4”, 140 lbs. • Suicide—third leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds (1. accidents, 2. murder)
Common Problems:All ages… • Divorce • Large numbers of single parent and never-married families • Abuse • Physical: 1 mill. +/year, 2000 deaths • Sexual: 1 in 5 boys, 1 in 3 girls ??? • Emotional: few clear statistics • Poverty—many more than old people
Alabama Arkansas Delaware* Florida Georgia* Kentucky Louisiana Maryland* Mississippi North Carolina* South Carolina* Tennessee Virginia* West Virginia *1 of the 13 colonies Region 3:The Southern States
Region 3:Famous People from the South • Sports: Hank Aaron, Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe • Actors: James Earl Jones, Sidney Poitier, Andy Griffith, Don Knotts • Presidents: so many! Washington, Lincoln, Carter, Jefferson, etc. • Writers: Harper Lee, William Faulkner, Margaret Mitchell, O. Henry, Willa Cather
Region 3:And even more famous people! • Polar Explorer R.E. Byrd, Vice Pres. Al Gore, Billy Graham, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Henson, John Wilkes Booth, Benjamin Banneker (mathematician), Jefferson Davis (Pres. of the South), Martin Luther King Jr., industrialist E.I. du Pont, Helen Keller (both blind and deaf)
Region 3:Brief History of the South • First settled for business, 1607 • Developed more slowly than the rest of the colonies. (Rural/undeveloped) • Small farms became large plantations (late 1600’s); began slave-demand • Staples: tobacco, rice, and cotton • Civil War—not just about slavery??? • Even until recently…white vs. black
Region 3:The People of the South • The people are: laidback, “rednecks,” friendly, hospitable, welcoming, loving, moving at a slower pace • Population: <1 million-16 million • Many retirees in Florida; many immigrants in this area • Speech is: very different!!! It reflects a lot of Black and Caribbean slang • Can you understand these words?...
(This is the translation.) • It’s cold tonight. • I’m going to find some wood so we can start a fire. • Then you and your family can come and sit by the fire and get warm. • Did you understand?
Region 3:Southern States famous for… • Universities, for example: • U.S. Naval Academy, Johns Hoskins University, Duke, Regent University • Georgia peaches, KFC, “moonshine”, pecan pie, lemonade, other fruit • Horse Racing (Kentucky Derby), Mardi Gras, Magnolia blossoms • Hot summers, beautiful autumns
A Folk Song from the South:“Down in the Valley” “Down in the Valley, Valley so low, Hang your head over, Hear the wind blow. Hear the wind blow, Love, Hear the wind blow. Hang your head over, Hear the wind blow…”