Taha Wairua - Culture

 Taha Wairua - Culture

Day of the dead

How is it celebrated?

In Mexico on the day of the dead,1st of November family's will welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a reunion that includes food, drink, and celebration. 

The deceased are believed to travel to Chicunamictlán (the land of the dead) but in order to get their they would have to go through nine challenging levels, a journey which would take several years, could the persons soul finally reach Mictlán, the final resting place. This inspired the day of the dead practice in which family members leave food or other offerings on their loved ones graves, or set them out on makeshift altars.

Who is it celebrated with?

The day is strongly associated with Mexico where the tradition originated, and its celebrated by loved ones, family, and friends.

Why is this important to celebrate?

Because Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the death with drinks, food , parties and activities the deceased enjoyed when they were living. 

Christmas:

How is it celebrated?

There's alot of different ways people celebrate Christmas. Many people decorate their homes, visit family and friends, exchange gifts. Most people celebrate by putting up a tree and waiting for Santa to drop down the chimney and deliver presents, and also making a big feast on Christmas and celebrating it with your family and friends. Schools and businesses close for Christmas

Who is it celebrated with?

Christmas was traditionally a christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus, but in the early 20th century, it also became a family day, celebrated by Christians and non Christians alike. 

Why is it important to celebrate?

The day is very important to many Christians because it reminds them that: Jesus came to earth for all people. It's also important to non Christians because it helps bring us together as a family and we get to celebrate, eat food, get time off school, and have fun. 

Social studies- Music through time

 Social studies- Music through time 

This term for social studies we learnt about slaves and all about how they used songs as a way of communicating with one another. What is a slave? a slave is a person who is another persons property slaves have to work for the person who owns them. 

Life in the plantations

• Their job was to pick cotton 
• The hardest working slaves were usually the field hands 
• Field hands worked 16 hour days, 6 days a week while being supervised by their overseer
• Field hands also worked worked harder then any other slave clearing lands, planting, and harvesting while below the sun. 
• The average lifetime of a slave was 25 years

Music:

This type of music was called spirituals this is what slaves used to hide secret messages to help other slaves with escaping, there's one spiritual called "swing low sweet chariot" and it was made to help slaves locate the underground railways to safety. 

(Sweet Chariot)

Swing low, swing chariot

Comin' for to carry me home!

I looked over Jordan and what did I see? 

Comin' for to carry me home!

A band of angels comin' for me,

Comin' for to carry me home!

(Codes)

Swing low = come down to the north (there was no slavery in the north)

Sweet chariot = the "underground railroads"

Home = freedom

Moses = was the nickname for Harriet Tubman who helped many slaves escape on the underground railways 

Jordan = the river

Angels = workers on the underground railroad

Who was Harriet Tubman? and what was the underground railways?

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery and started working at the age of 5 as a house servant. Harriet had escaped slavery and went back to sneak other slaves out of slavery using the Underground railroad. she did this knowing her own life was at risk. She was known as the Moses of her time because she led her people out of slavery into their promise land, Harriet also sang songs that were in code that other slaves would understand to escape.

The Underground Railroad is not a real Railroad, he underground railroad helped slaves from South get to freedom in the North. Slaves ran on the Underground Railroad to stay safe while escaping. Sometimes they got help to hide but sometimes they had to hide alone. The station masters made the slaves comfortable whey they were there. They disagreed with slavery. The Station Masters let them sleep and fed them. The railroad workers and conductors led you to the next station. This is how slaves got freedom. Slaves would have to hide somewhere for days or maybe weeks or even months before they could come out of their hiding spot. The slaves would need a signal so they know it was safe to go and they have help.

Map of the slave trade triangle