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Why do people question tradition? Tradition belongs to people's culture! There are some tribes of the Amazon that pierce their lower lip and put a plug on there that they replace with progressiveluy larger plugs as the person grows up. Mostly THEY consider that as a beauty sign, much as ear piercing is done in some cultures. Western culture considers it disfiguring. They don't! I really don't understand all this brouhaha!
I don't consider pierced ears to be "disfiguring" and if in some cultures it is traditional and has been for centuries to pierce children's ears at a very young age then fine. I was simply interested to hear if Sampaguita had any background as to why it was a tradition in her family (and others families with the same ethnic background) but if she doesn't know then that's fine.
I don't consider pierced ears to be "disfiguring" and if in some cultures it is traditional and has been for centuries to pierce children's ears at a very young age then fine. I was simply interested to hear if Sampaguita had any background as to why it was a tradition in her family (and others families with the same ethnic background) but if she doesn't know then that's fine.
I can only guess that it is a standard beauty ornament. Sampaguita and I are of the same ethnic background. Our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers always had their ears pierced. I'm glad it was done for me as an infant, as it was with her, because I probably would have settled for clip earrings as an adult otherwise. Mostly when we marry outside of our ethnic backgrounds do traditions come in question. My husband is white and fortunately for me is Catholic, so circumcision was not an issue for our son. In the rush of the moment, we did not think about getting our daughter's ears pierced as an infant, but she made that decision at 4, bless her heart. Tradition is usually not questioned...it just gets propagated, because that is what tradition is. It's a custom.
I was just curious as to what it is that defines "common." And how one determines who is common or not.
Usually people that make those sort of comments are the sort of people that are insecure about their own social standing and think that by degrading someone else it makes them superior.
Many people don't notice, or care if they see toddlers and babies with pierced ears- some people might like it - however many people do consider it trashy.
I am sorry I don't see how it is trashy. To me trashy is walking around with your butt and boobs hanging out, in hooker shoes and tons of make-up, trashy is also some of the little girls clothes that are sold today, but somehow I never equated little gold studs in a little girls ears with trashiness. I guess trashy is just in the eye of the beholder.
I am sorry I don't see how it is trashy. To me trashy is walking around with your butt and boobs hanging out, in hooker shoes and tons of make-up, trashy is also some of the little girls clothes that are sold today, but somehow I never equated little gold studs in a little girls ears with trashiness. I guess trashy is just in the eye of the beholder.
I also consider walking around with your butt and boobs hanging out whilst caked in make-up to be trashy, and also agree that many of the clothes that are marketed for young children nowadays are trashy.
Now obviously in your culture, whatever it may be, piercing children's ears at a young age is NOT considered trashy. That's fine, that's your culture and your traditions.
However, in the UK it is considered by many people to be very "trashy" to pierce the ears of very young babies and toddlers. People don't consider the child to be trashy or common, they consider the practice to be trashy and common. Whether that is because it is something that is perceived as being more prevalent within a particular social class or because people feel that there is a particular age range at which children should be able to decide for themselves I'm not sure.
I acknowledge that I have been rather hasty in posting without actually considering other cultures and what is "the norm" within them - if I have offended you then I apologise. I am talking about my own culture and how the practice is perceived by many people there. As I said earlier, some people may not care, some may like it, others dislike it.
I also consider walking around with your butt and boobs hanging out whilst caked in make-up to be trashy, and also agree that many of the clothes that are marketed for young children nowadays are trashy.
Now obviously in your culture, whatever it may be, piercing children's ears at a young age is NOT considered trashy. That's fine, that's your culture and your traditions.
However, in the UK it is considered by many people to be very "trashy" to pierce the ears of very young babies and toddlers. People don't consider the child to be trashy or common, they consider the practice to be trashy and common. Whether that is because it is something that is perceived as being more prevalent within a particular social class or because people feel that there is a particular age range at which children should be able to decide for themselves I'm not sure.
I acknowledge that I have been rather hasty in posting without actually considering other cultures and what is "the norm" within them - if I have offended you then I apologise. I am talking about my own culture and how the practice is perceived by many people there. As I said earlier, some people may not care, some may like it, others dislike it.
It's just my opinion.
Please explain common to me or what it means where you are from. I am not trying to start anything just trying to understand the common you are talking about. For me common has two meanings, one being it is something that everyone does, ie common practices, or common people being those that are not wealthy.
I know you have asked what causes the cultures to do it and not really received an answer other than "it is our culture." For us it was just something that was done when the babies were little and alot of times there was one person in the family usually a grandmother or great grandmother that did all the piercings for the female babies born, so it was in essence a tradition. This is my ex husbands tradition and we followed it, but if I had another girl with my husband that I am married to now I would have had it done early. If you ask my daughter she doesn't remember it being done, she loves having her ears pierced and I didn't have to worry about having to be on her constantly to take care of a new piercing as a pre teen or teenager.
I don't consider pierced ears to be "disfiguring" and if in some cultures it is traditional and has been for centuries to pierce children's ears at a very young age then fine. I was simply interested to hear if Sampaguita had any background as to why it was a tradition in her family (and others families with the same ethnic background) but if she doesn't know then that's fine.
Sorry, I cannot provide you with a specific reason as to why this is a tradition in our family. That goes way back to my ancestors from Spain as I know my great-great-grandmothers had pierced ears. Plus, it is also a very cultural tradition. I don't follow family or cultural traditions blindly but I've no problem with this one which is why I chose to continue it.
So in the UK when you see babies with pierced ears, you automatically see the parents as "common and trashy"?
ajzjmsmom - my guess for her meaning of "common" is someone who has no breeding or manners.
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