As part of our Social Studies curriculum in Chatham NY, as well as most schools in New York State, we study other countries and their culture as it is both similar and different from ours. As educators in a country where we embrace many different ethnic groups, religions and ways of life, presenting different traditions are crucial to understanding who we are as Americans and how our own culture and traditions came to be. We provide opportunities for the community to guide us through what they see as important traditions and customs.