Shreya Nara and Daivya Sadhvani

       

The aromatic smell of spices wafting throughout

The soft hum of the television announcing the latest Indian news

Family gathered around the table to enjoy the delicious food

Hot chai is passed around before their afternoon snooze 

Meanwhile, young children are climbing Malaysia’s fruit trees

The sound of birds singing their lovely tunes

As the youngsters bask in the sun and shout with glee

Their elders look through the window and appreciate the warm afternoon

 

Our neighbors in Canada live with their mothers and fathers

They sigh contently as they taste the sweet maple syrup 

While their aunts and uncles live out over yonder 

For snack they might eat some pastries from Europe 

Across the globe are our Kenyan friends 

They chatter away while devouring rice and stew 

The room is not full unless every cousin attends 

Speaking three languages; that’s what they do 

 

All the way in Poland, lunch is served at 2:30ish 

It’s the biggest meal of the day with multiple dishes served

But when it’s Friday there’s no meat but fish 

Depending on the situation the house can be noisy or reserved 

Children in Albania are smelling a pastry called byrek with cottage cheese

While their extra-curricular activities are being observed by parents

To complement their food they might say pass the pickled vegetables please 

 

Grandma and Grandpa lead the Fijan house 

But they still remove their shoes as they are entering 

Children live with parents even as adults with a spouse 

Right before eating they announce a blessing 

On the contrary, Bulgarian children live with only their dads and moms 

Soon on May 24 they’ll celebrate Culture and Literacy Day

Starting with a breakfast of a sweet roll on their palms 

And ending with a dinner of meat they had to saute 

 

Since it is dinner time, people of all different age groups

From grandparents to their grandchildren

Gather around to have some Vietnamese rice noodle soup  

A small Swedes family is out and about 

Spending their weekend in the great outdoors 

Hanging by the glistening lake or growing small sprouts

Oh, all together they happily explore

 

While different cultures have different traditions

No matter how far one roams

Family and friends will be your home

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Works Cited:

 

Pier. (n.d.). Polish culture. Cultural Atlas. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/polish-culture/polish-culture-etiquette 

Afs-Usa. (n.d.). Albania - AFS-USA. AFS. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.afsusa.org/countries/albania/#afs-nav-language 

Afs-Usa. (n.d.). Kenya: Exploring kenyan culture: AFS-USA. AFS. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.afsusa.org/countries/kenya/#afs-nav-people 

Pier. (n.d.). Malaysian culture. Cultural Atlas. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/malaysian-culture/malaysian-culture-family 

Pier. (n.d.). Fijian  culture. Cultural Atlas. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/fijian-culture/fijian-culture-family 

Pier. (n.d.). Canadian culture. Cultural Atlas. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/canadian-culture/canadian-culture-family 

Afs-Usa. (n.d.). Philippines - AFS-USA. AFS. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.afsusa.org/countries/philippines/#afs-nav-people

Afs-Usa. (n.d.). Bulgaria  - AFS-USA. AFS. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.afsusa.org/countries/bulgaria/#afs-nav-people

Afs-Usa. (n.d.). South Sudan  - AFS-USA. AFS. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.afsusa.org/countries/south-sudan/#afs-nav-people 

Afs-Usa. (n.d.). India  - AFS-USA. AFS. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.afsusa.org/countries/india/#afs-nav-people 

Random country - explore the world. Random Country - Explore the World. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://random.country/ 

Afs-Usa. (n.d.). Poland  - AFS-USA. AFS. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.afsusa.org/countries/poland/ 

Afs-Usa. (n.d.). Sweden  - AFS-USA. AFS. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.afsusa.org/countries/sweden/#afs-nav-people 

Nag, O. S. (2018, July 24). Vietnamese culture. WorldAtlas. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-culture-of-vietnam.html