Cultural Similarities Between Ireland And Australia
1067 Words5 Pages
There are over one hundred and ninety countries world wide, each having their own personal history, values, and culture. Even though all countries in the world have a slightly different culture, which makes it unique, there can also be similarities between those countries. In the light of this interconnectedness, this essay will examine the ways Ireland, Australia, and Japan compare and contrast in terms of their culture and society. To start with, these countries are situated in different parts of world, thus giving each nation a different popular religion. Ireland is mainly consisted of Roman Catholics, leaving only around 5% of the population being non-Catholic minorities. Catholicism had become intertwined with Irish nationalism ever…show more content… The people honor St. Patrick since he had, according to legend, ridded the plague of snakes and reptiles off of Ireland. Then he picked a three leaf shamrock to explain to the people the holy trinity, and how they could become one, thus giving the people Christianity and a symbol-the shamrock. Likewise, Australia is described as a Christian country, even with its religious freedom for the entire nation. Although, it is one of the most religiously diverse societies due to lots of immigrants; mainly Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, and Hindus. With the younger generations, there has been a decline in attendance, as they tend to be more critical of the church policy and practice. Thus creating the New Age Movement and has become increasingly more popular than the traditional religions, spreading into the widespread of alternative health and spirituality. On the other hand, Japan mostly follows Shintoism and Buddhism, but doesn’t play a major part in the people’s everyday lives. The two co-exist in harmony, and both aren’t preached like the West cultures since it is more of a private family…show more content… In Ireland the biggest celebration is St. Patrick’s Day, and the biggest parties are located in Dublin. Usually there are parades through to bigger cities and friends go out to party at pubs that are open until the early hours of the next day. For Australia they have a holiday dedicated to themselves called Australia Day on January 26th. This commemorates the establishment of the first European settlement at Port Jackson in 1788, so Aussie’s come together on this day to celebrate their country and culture. During this day the Australian of the Year Award is given to those who made an outstanding contribution to their country. Then in Japan they have this festival called Obon, which is a lantern festival, to pay tribute to ancient spirits. From August 13th-16th lanterns are lit in front of homes to guide ancestors to their families, and then on the 16th the lanterns will be put on rivers to guide the spirits back to the underworld. All of them celebrate Christmas, by setting up stockings or a tree, decorating their homes, which become available in stores in October, eating a special meal, and exchanging gifts with loved ones. Unlike Ireland and Japan, in Australia Christmas is in the middle of the summer school holiday so many families go to beaches with a barbeque or have picnics in the parks. These nations have many unique holidays