On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me –

6 Asian orbs,

5 manger scenes! 4 major awards, 3 dancing pigs, 2 handmade bells, and a portrait to put on the tree.

I have no idea what my pictured round object is called. If you do, please enlighten me! (One friend thought “geodesic.” Maybe? Thank you Kay.) But on this 6th day, the focus is on culture.

Not only do I enjoy the bright colors on this ornament, but I love that there are Chinese characters on it, too. It is clearly Asian looking, complete with tassels, gold lamé, and shiny fabric. And it reminds me of where I come from… not China, but Asia.

Koreans, Taiwanese, Japanese, and many other Asian nations include Chinese characters in their language. So for us, this is a universal way to communicate. Even if we don’t understand each other when we speak, we understand each other through our writing (because the spoken character varies, but the written one means the same thing across cultures.)

Honestly, though I look completely Korean, I feel wholly blended as a “Korean-American.” But before people start calling me a banana, know this… I grew up in America, so what I know of Korean culture is through my American upbringing in a Korean home.

Like many Americans, we are a blend of cultures. And to me, this is beautiful and worthy of celebration. In elementary school I used to hide that I was Korean, like that was even possible. I tried to not speak Korean, so I could become more American, as if that made any sense? Thankfully, my parents ignored my silly comments and continued to speak Korean in the home, even if I responded in English. And the main reason I know how to speak any Korean today is because of them. Thank you mom and dad!

But back to ornaments… finding one that celebrates your DNA is simply another way to remember who you are, where you came from, and what you are passing on to future generations.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me – visit here tomorrow to see.