The person I interviewed was my aunt, at the time I had to interview a relative I thought of her because she is one of the wisest people I know and just by asking a little she gives a lot of detail about the story and also while she is telling the story she gives extract details about what is being talked about. In the interview we had, I realized that if we do not give a lot of importance to a custom or a certain event that is important for development, it is very difficult for it to be maintained over time and if it is maintained, it is very difficult for it to be the same. way of how it originated. A clear example with my family, some of my grandparents did not influence my parents much with religion and I have almost heard very little about religion, rarely in my life have I gone to mass. That’s what I mean: if you don’t put that effort into inheriting a custom, it will be very difficult to keep it in the family over time.

Another clear example is myself, most of the time when I lived in Ecuador I have always celebrated “carnival” but it was not until now the last thing that has to do with being a religious symbol or that has meaning, I always thought that the holidays were celebrated. And the custom is gradually disappearing on my side because I haven’t celebrated carnival for 3 years because I live here in the United States as it is not a celebration here, only people from Ecuador know about this celebration. 

There are practically no people to celebrate with, another point I want to get to is that as I, little by little without realizing it, I am losing that idea of celebrating the “carnival” I can’t imagine my children, they will have no idea what I’m going to be talking and it’s going to be one more story about how we had fun in my time, because as they were born with the culture here, suddenly in their daily lives they learn about events that are celebrated here. It all depends on me if I want to invest my time in teaching them some custom from my native country, and another thing is that if the custom or celebration catches their attention, and if they no longer like it, you cannot force someone to do something. does not want to, at that moment is when the inheritance of customs is lost.

Something that caught my attention is that most religious celebrations are celebrated almost at the same time during this time of year. Lent and Holy Week are during these months of February and April. I’m not very clear about these other two examples, but just these days I heard that Ramadan began and another celebration is Passover and finally Easter. I don’t know much in detail about each celebration but I know that they are related to religion and it seems curious to me that they are celebrated for the same time. An interesting fact that my aunt said in the interview is that in the old days there was no doubt about the words of adults, which means that everything was under the word of adults, practically, that this is the right thing to do and is the truth. They did all this so that minors would pay attention and not doubt.

Finally, in the interview I realized, thanks to my aunt’s words, that technology is separating the new generations from customs and culture, this is a simple way to explain it is that the new generations have access to thousands and without number of websites, games and many other ways of training with a phone at hand, the result is that little by little they lose their habits.

Reflection 2

In my interview with my aunt, her profound insights shed light on the delicate balance between preserving cultural traditions and the influence of modernity. Her wisdom highlighted the importance of passing down customs through generations, illustrating how neglecting to do so could lead to their gradual erosion over time. Reflecting on my own experience with the fading tradition of celebrating Carnival since moving to the United States, I realized the significance of actively maintaining cultural practices within my family. Moreover, her observation about the simultaneous occurrence of religious celebrations underscored the interconnectedness of diverse cultural phenomena. The interview also raised concerns about the impact of technology on younger generations, emphasizing the need to navigate digital distractions while nurturing a connection to cultural heritage. Overall, this conversation deepened my appreciation for the rich tapestry of traditions that shape our identities and underscored the importance of preserving them for future generations.

Oral History Script

Introduction:

The most appropriate person for this interview was my aunt Gladys, who is my dad’s older sister, but I think she is the person who has enjoyed the carnival the most. He is also a wise person with his words but sometimes he deviates from the topic a little to explain something else.

Maykel: Aunt Gladys, one of my questions is when does the carnival start?

Aunt Gladys: I have not celebrated carnival for many years because I am already around 67 years old so I am not going to be very precise with the dates, but what I am very clear about is that in my time the carnival was celebrated the week before the carnival begins. Lent. For example, this year the carnival ended on February 13 and February 14 was Ash Wednesday. It is generally always celebrated between February and early March.

Maykel: So the carnival has to do with religion?

Aunt Gladys: Our family has not been that religious, I tell you this so you have an idea that I could be wrong. At the time of my youth, adult people always instilled in me certain values or certain ideas that could never be questioned. So I never asked directly about something he doubted. Over time I understood that carnival is a way to enjoy the family and friends that surround us, it was also a way for adults to bring out that inner child, but if we talk within religion it is a way to leave all the bad things behind, to celebrate. new beginnings and start Lent.

 

Maykel: in your youth, how did you experience carnival days and how did you celebrate it?

Aunt Gladys: the truth was it was a very nice time since all the people left their house with buckets of water to wet others, there were people who played with eggs, bursting them on top of another person. There were people who mixed water with paint to stain anyone on the street. Also on those carnival days, it always rained a lot and generally it always rained on the same days and it was like that for many years, now it is very difficult for it to rain on carnival days. I don’t know if it is for some reason of climate change but it doesn’t rain like before.

Maykel: One of the most intriguing questions is, how much has the celebration changed from before to today?

Aunt Gladys: Over the years many things have changed, now people celebrate these dates in a more vain way, I think people do not celebrate it with its true meaning, I also feel that technology is creating a gap between maintaining traditions or As time goes by, little by little they disappear. A clear example is me, nowadays I no longer celebrate it and I no longer wet someone with water, the only thing I do maintain is not eating meat during Lent. Before, during Lent there were myths that if you touched the water too early you could turn into a fish. That way they kept us entertained, unlike today when teenagers and some children no longer believe in those myths and rules that are followed during Lent and Holy Week. I don’t think they go to mass every Sunday as part of fulfilling their religion. In that sense, we did try to go to mass during the weeks of reflection.

Maykel: Is there anything new they are doing at the carnival now?

Aunt Gladys: There are not many new things but what in recent years children play with is a kind of soapy foam that does not burn others, there have always been balloons filled with water. What has changed is the meaning of customs.

Maykel: Tia, I know that his time is valuable and he has already answered beyond my questions, but what advice do you have for today’s youth?

Aunt Gladys: As in general I would like to tell the generation like you, is to tell them to enjoy every second and every moment of their lives, not to be attached to the material because the material comes and goes, life is only one and it is the most valuable thing we have in our hands. From my point of view I feel that little by little with technology we are losing many customs and this causes more people to lose that touch of life and humanity that those customs give them. To a certain extent, I would like my youth to know where they come from and to feel proud of it.

Maykel: Thank you very much Aunt Gladys, her words are truly wise.

Aunt Gladys: Don’t worry, we all go through the same path.

Maykel: Thank you