Samoan Culture

Keenan Schwalger Mrs. Kay Berry English 1010 10/19/10 Samoan elaboration plays a large p subterfuge in the lives of those with Samoan heritage. Samoan refinement is kept strong in a Samoan house ravel by keeping the culture alive. This is d 1 by keeping family unity, the art of traditionalistic tattooing, and eating traditional foods and cooking traditional ways. Family life in Samoan culture is huge. They value family very much. It is one of the most burning(prenominal) parts of their life. They mostly live with their extended family all in one house in Samoa, or very near them here in the US.Traditionally the Grandmother and Grandfather will live with one their children and sometimes if needed, so will a couple of the Aunts and Uncles. The idea of sending a prove or grandpargonnt to live in nursing home is unheard of in Samoan, and most other Polynesian cultures. It is expected that they will take plow of their family. Cl arence Schwalger, a Samoan living in Saint George U tah says that the consummate Samoan culture is based around the family. It is not unusual to manipulate a large Samoan family living in one house. more or less Polynesians, including Samoans charter very large families, with more than 5 children up to 10 or more.Family is so important that when they see a family reunion the correct family will fly from even New Zealand still to be with the family for a week. It doesnt matter if they go into debt to go. It is that important to them. Some families can have a family reunion every 2 to 3 years. Any limited occasions in the family can be an excuse to get unitedly. Baptism, blessings, weddings, and funerals are all important occasions that bring extended families in concert. Being together as an extended family is what Samoans love best. The tattoo is a very important, exemplary and, respected part of the culture.It is known as the turning from a male child to a man. The Samoan tattoo is called the Pea, and starts on the lower back and run all the way down to the lower thigh. Many of the designs represent animals and have many meanings. The triangles on the back resemble the Samoan warm fox. The debauched fox is actually a bat, and when it looks for food, it circles in flight. Samoans believe the circular flying represents the cycles of life. (Channell,18). In Samoa these tattoos are given to the chief of the family and he is the one who is richly tattooed.The tattooing is a very painful process and is done by winning pieces of sharpen bone and ink and taping the tattoo in with a mallet. The tattoo designs are beautiful designs consisting of many geometric shapes put together in a way they flows. The tattoo is much respected. Once started, it must be completed or it will bring shame upon the recent man, and his family. After it is completed, the young mans gains new status among his people. With the receiving of his tattoo, he has now taken on the responsibly of being a man, and also to be an fra mework and leader of his family. In Samoa, eating is a large part of the traditional culture.Almost all Polynesians eat in family groups and often invite others to join in their large meals. They almost always cook more than is needed just in case someone drops in for dinner. A Sunday spread head called toonoi is prepared in a large cooking pots big seemly to feed almost an army. In Samoa, traditional meals are cooked in an umu, which is an in ground cooking pit. Food is cleaned, and traditionally wrapped in banana leaves and put on the tops of rocks that have been heated. The food is then cover by more leaves, and the entire oven steams together for several hours.Hot rocks cook surprisingly well, and are even used to cook meats as large as a pig. This type of cooking is very hard work, and is so tradition calls that the men do all the cooking. There is an old saying that goes something equivalent most people eat until they are full, but Samoans eat until they are tired. This i s evident by the largeness of the people. Samoans love to eat. The main diet in Samoa consists of chicken, fish and local fruits and vegetables. This is slowly starting to change however, with the introduction of debased food restaurants such as McDonalds.