Cultural Ways: Connecticut vs. China Autumn Sutton F.Y.I. 100: Is Teaching For You? Dr. Stoloff December 13, 2015

Culture in Connecticut: Brief Background Connecticut was one of the 13 original colonies It established government in 1637 The first English settlers moved from the Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts

Culture in Connecticut: The Area Connecticut does not have major cities (such as New York or Los Angeles) Connecticut is well known for their seaports; Mystic Harbor and Madison Inland, the River valleys are filled with colonial towns that have been “rejuvenated” by wealthy citizens, artists, and crafters There are many travel destinations in the state, and Connecticut is well known for a lot of history and antiques

Culture in Connecticut: Culture in Connecticut: Attractions Mystic Seaport Mystic Aquarium Mark Twain House and Museum Yale University Litchfield Hills The Shore Connecticut River Valley Essex

Culture in Connecticut: Religion Connecticut’s religious development began in 1630 with the Congregational Church There were laws for attending Church on Sunday because Brethren also had to contribute to financial maintenance of the Church The Church also controlled educational tasks, business practices, social conduct, and sexual activities with puritan principles The Church was weakened in the 18 th century because people left the Church and again in the 19 th and 20 th centuries Since World War I, Roman Catholic has been the dominant religion Other religions include: Congregationalists, Protestants, Episcopal, Methodists, Jewish, and Muslims 42% of the population does not practice religion

Culture in Connecticut: Language 81.7% of people in Connecticut say they speak English 18.3% of people speak a language other than English with Spanish being the highest at 8.3%

Culture in Connecticut: Food Connecticut is called the Nutmeg State The food is similar throughout all of New England Connecticut is known for its Pizza Grinders (sandwiches) New Haven is the Birthplace for the Hamburger Most popular pizza is a white-clam pizza Connecticut is also known for Apple Orchards and Farming lands People in Connecticut eat a lot of Seafood (Long Island Sound) such as oysters, clams, lobsters, etc. The official state symbol is the Eastern Oyster

Culture in Connecticut: The Arts Their Rivers, Shorelines, and Rural Countryside became a magnet for impressionist painters Grenich and Old Lyme are too very art-rich towns (Lyme Academy of Fine Arts) Popular music genres include Country, Hip-Hop, R&B, Rap, Rock, etc Garde Arts Theatre (New London, CT) Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods (Casino’s: Gambling, concerts, shows, dining, etc)

Culture in Connecticut: Celebrations/Holidays The Fourth of July- Independence Day: This is a very popular and celebrated holiday with barbeques, fireworks, etc. Halloween: All Hallows Eve, Kids participate in this event every year, they dress up as different characters, monsters, etc. Thanksgiving: The day the Pilgrims settled; usually celebrated by a huge feast Christmas: The Birth of Christ; celebrated with a Christmas tree New Year’s Eve

Culture in Connecticut: Celebrations/Holidays

Culture in China: 1 billion people 56 different Ethnic groups The largest group is the Han Chinese (900 million people) Others include the Tibetans, the Mongols, the Manchus, the Naxi, and the Hezhan (the smallest group with less than 2,000 people) Culture includes religion, food, style, language, marriage, music, morals, etc.

Culture in China: Attractions The Great Wall of China The Forbidden City Terracotta Army Summer Palace Temple of Heaven The Bund Li River The Tiananmen Square Oriental Pearl Tower

Culture in China: Religion Communist Party is the official religion It rules China, It is Atheist Other religions are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism It recently became acceptable to worship these other religions About a quarter of the people practice Taoism Catholic ministers try to convert the Chinese but little progress is made

Culture in China: Language There are seven major dialects in the Chinese Language Many Chinese are also fluent in English Mandarin is the most popular with 71.5 percent of people speaking it, followed by Wu, Yue, Xiang, Min, Hakka, Gan

Culture in China: Food Cuisine is influenced by location The main styles of Chinese cuisine are Cantonese (stir fried dishes) and Szechuan (relies on peanut sauces, sesame paste and ginger) Rice is very popular and common in Chinese cuisine, along with bean sprouts, cabbage and scallions The Chinese do not consume a lot of meat, so Tofu is often used They rarely eat pork and chicken

Culture in China: The Arts Influenced by Mythical and Spiritual history (such as figures from Buddhism) Musical instruments are often used, including the Xun and the Guqin (in the Zither family) Eastern-Style marshal arts were developed in the mid 1600’s. It is a fighting technique based on animal movements. They have a rich literature history, with writers and philosophers, especially from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Culture in China: Customs and Celebrations The largest festival in China is the Spring Festival, which is the beginning of the Lunar New Year. It falls between January and February It honors the ancestors It is a 15 day celebration It includes fireworks, dancers, a parade, and dancers dressed as a Dragon

Culture in China: Customs and Celebrations Other important celebration days: Confucius’ birthday: September 28 The birthday of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy; falls between March and April Birthday of Mazu, goddess of the Sea; falls in May or June The Moon Festival; which takes place in September or October It is celebrated with fireworks, paper lanterns, and moon gazing

Culture in China

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