Cultures and Traditions Archives

ANZAC Commemorations in Rarotonga

25 April is a Day that Australian and New Zealanders set aside to commemorate their fallen soldiers. In the Cook Islands, it is no different. With the Cook Islands strong connection to the British Empire via a New Zealand Administration, Cook Islanders were also asked to take up arms in the two great World Wars. […]

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April 26, 2015/by Global Volunteers

Cultures and Traditions

Wishing You All a Happy Easter

Wishing you all a Happy Easter. In the photo are the impressions of the 10 fingerprints of St. Thomas, who is also called the Doubting Thomas. St. Thomas who did not believe that Jesus was risen unless he touches the wounds of Jesus to see for himself, that Jesus has truly risen. When Jesus again […]

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April 5, 2015/by Stephen Raja

Cultures and Traditions Cook Islands

Ron’s Guide to the Social Customs and Attitudes in the Cook Islands

Third time Cook Islands volunteer, Ron, has come up with some reflections about life in the Cook Islands. Here, we will share a few with you – some are tongue in cheek. So enjoy our programme through the lens of a Canadian volunteer who loves providing service in the Cook Islands. In the photo, Ron […]

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March 27, 2015/by Global Volunteers

Cultures and Traditions Greece

25th March- Greek Independence Day

Wednesday 25th March 2015. It’s Greek Independence day and the team is free because schools are closed. The family, India, Elisabeth, Tanja and Chadwick, went off on their own adventure. Marcella, Chris and I bused through the gate of the walled city of Heraklion to watch the parade. The plaza near the archeological museum was […]

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March 25, 2015/by Sam Pinakoulaki

Cultures and Traditions Ecuador

Ecuadorian Spanish – The Mixing of Cultures

With 330 million native speakers, Spanish is the fourth most widely-spoken language in the world according to The Statistics Portal. Spanish is the official or national language of 19 countries in the Americas. The U.S., with some 44 million Spanish speakers, ranks #3 in number of Spanish speakers in the world, according to www.mapsoftheworld.com. Throughout many […]

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March 16, 2015/by Maggie Bjorklund

Cultures and Traditions Poland

Poland’s UNESCO sites

In 1978, first two places from Poland were inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List: Krakow and Wieliczka. Today, the list includes fourteen unique sites that you cannot miss: Historic Center of Warsaw: The historic centre of Warsaw is a unique example of a planned near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th […]

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March 11, 2015/by Dorota Wierzbicka

Cultures and Traditions

Pongal O Pongal

Pongal is the Harvest festival celebrated in the state of Tamilnadu and also by the Tamil people from all around the world. The festival is celebrated in the month of January for 4 days between January 14th – January 17th. It is mostly celebrated in the villages in Tamil Nadu where the farmers want to […]

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January 27, 2015/by Stephen Raja

Cultures and Traditions Peru

New Year’s in Lima

Many say Lima is like London. That is, Lima is usually foggy. But during the days after New Year’s celebration, the skies of Lima look even foggier as clouds of smoke and the smell of powder fill the skies. Just as at Christmas, Peruvians celebrate New Year’s with fireworks that start on the evening of […]

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January 23, 2015/by Global Volunteers

Cultures and Traditions Cuba

American Classic Cars as Taxi Cabs in Cuba

In Cuba restored American classic cars – Chevy convertibles from the 50s and 60s – are taxi cabs. Most are relics of the U.S. businesses on the island in the 1950s under the Fulgencio Batista regime before Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. Now in the capital city of Havana friendly men put these […]

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January 15, 2015/by Maggie Bjorklund

Cultures and Traditions Cuba

Christmas in Cuba With Global Volunteers

Christmas in Cuba is very much a family-oriented holiday and gifts are not as important as spending time together. Roasted suckling pig is the traditional dish served for Christmas lunch. Parrandas – parties in the street with fireworks, floats, and dancing – are a common part of Christmas celebrations in Cuba. Christmas in Cuba – and everything […]

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December 24, 2014/by Maggie Bjorklund

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