FTKMF: Post 3. A.

The diverse American and Cambodian cultures, there are many differences. One that was predominantly evident in this third week of reading was the differences in customs, in particular the birthday traditions. In the United States of America, we celebrate our birthdays every year with a big party, a birthday cake piled up with thick artery clogging frosting, and a bundle of brightly rapped gifts from the birthday person’s friends hoping that their gift exceeds that of the other party goers. In Cambodia it is very different. “In Cambodia, people don’t celebrate the day on which they were born until they’ve lives their fiftieth year. Then families and friends gather to feast on sumptuous food and honor the person’s longevity. Pa told me that in other countries, people become a year older only after having passed the exact day and month that the came into the world.” (84) Although there are many obvious cultural differences between the United States and Cambodia, one not so well known is that of our different birthday celebrations.