We have a strong sense of identity in our region, and it's fairly easy to pick out where a person hails from just by the sound or manner of speech, even within a province. The accent of someone from Saint John is different from the accent of a person from Dalhousie, NB. Plum Point, Rose Blanche, Clarenville and St. John's, NL, accents differ one from the other. And it's easy to pick out a Cape Bretoner from a crowd of people from Stewiacke or Bridgewater in Nova Scotia. The soft drawl of the PEIer, too, is distinctive. That's what our culture is-a blend. Our roots are strong and we're proud of them.

People around the world celebrate their forerunners in different ways. In the Far East there are special ancestor celebrations that last for several days: candles, music, dances and feasts are part of the rituals that pay tribute to those who have gone before. Japan in particular has an annual "Come Home" time-descendants return to their hometowns to visit with each other, plant gardens, groom the graves and honour the dead. During celebrations the spirits of ancestors are invited to walk the earth, partake of food offerings and join in family gatherings-fostering a good feeling about the family connection. In some cases family crests are hung around ancestors' graves so wandering spirits can find their way back at the end of the annual event.

Until the mid 19th century the fruit didn't fall far from the Japanese tree, so the spirits of thousands of years are all close to home. Because there are so many ancestors, sometimes only the most recent or most notable are acknowledged. One of my daughters-in-law, Yukiko, hails from Japan. She says she doesn't want to go back there to live because there are "too many ancestors." Of course, I'm delighted that I won't lose her, my son and their two treasures to the Far East. I'm also thrilled she makes sure the children know both their East Coast and Far East ancestry and culture, and that they celebrate on appropriate occasions.