12.18.2009

Wopila

This month I read in Reader's Digest about a woman's experience with the Native American Lakota Sioux tradition of Wopila. I had never heard of it before.

Wopila, also known as "The Giveaway", is how the Lakota Sioux celebrate special occasions. When someone gets married or has a birthday, for example, that person gives away presents to their family and friends. And they often don't give out dollar-store generic items; many will spend weeks or months making the gifts, like art and quilts, or collecting items their loved ones may enjoy, like recipes or little gadgets.

Think about it: it's completely backwards from typical American culture! Can you imagine spending so much time and energy creating gifts for others in preparation for your birthday? Or adding "get gifts for everyone I love" to your list of wedding to-dos? It's crazy!

But it's also awesome, as far as I've read. People who observe Wopila these days seem to really enjoy showering their friends with gifts, and, as a result, think about "stuff" differently. They have developed a habit of focusing on what they can give instead of what they can get (even though they probably also get a lot from other Wopila-ers!).

It's an act worth considering. I have been, at least. :)

5 comments:

  1. Nice! I was invited to celebrate a friend's friend's birthday a few years back. They are both from India. I learned that their custom is similar: the person who has the birthday pays for everyone...the opposite of what we do (chip in to cover the bill of the person who is having their birthday).

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  2. You mean I have to give you baby stuff at my baby-shower?!

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    1. Sherry, in the Native tradition, you would give others gifts to show Creator your gratitude for the wonderful blessing of a baby.

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  3. I realize this is a very old blog post. My apologies for commenting on it again, but I just have to! :-D I am currently 89 days away from my wedding. Our wedding has taken 2 years to plan and prepare for. We spent $2 a yard on the fabric for our wedding attire. Everything else we plan on using in our ceremony were gifts... with the exception of the quilt I am making by hand (and have yet to finish! EEK!). For two years we have acquired gifts for our families. Some have been purchased, others have been hand-made. I have canned 100 jars of jam and 100 jars of lavender salt (lavender from our very own garden). I am absolutely thrilled to be marrying the love of my life, but what I'm most looking forward to is showering my loved ones with gifts of gratitude.

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    1. Don't ever apologize for adding nice comments! :) Thank you for sharing your wedding story - that's truly amazing. Good luck with the final preparations!

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