Student Holiday Traditions From Around the World

It’s no surprise that food is a common theme when it comes to our students’ favorite holiday traditions. Our international students shared some fun and surprising ways they celebrate the holidays with their families and friends. Check out some traditions from around the world, including Aruba, Albania, Ethiopia, Honduras, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Venezuela Marcello Mattei ’21, biomedical engineering During the holidays, Marcello Mattei’s family comes together to prepare a traditional Venezuelan dish, Hallacas. Hallacas are similar to tamales and require two entire days of preparation. “Hallacas is so complicated to make, each family member has to help,” Mattei says. Day one of preparation begins with roasting a pork leg and mixing it with ground beef and chicken. On the second day, Mattei’s family prepares maize dough colored red with annatto, which is then spread on a plantain leaf and filled with the pork roast. Then, the hallacas are put together in an assembly line, with someone working the dough, another adding the meat and a final person adding the toppings, including olives, almonds, onion,bell pepper and other garnishes. Finally, they wrap it all together and enjoy their hard work. “We make so much of these, we eat them all the way from December through January,” Mattei says. “Preparing and eating hallacas always brings the family together.” Saudi Arabia Wijdan Alruwaili’s ’19, management information systems Wijdan Alruwaili’s holidays mostly fall in the summer, not winter. Alruwaili celebrates Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in June and August, respectively, at his home in Saudi Arabia. Both holidays are similar to an American Christmas, during which businesses and schools are closed so relatives can gather to share meals and gifts Eid al-Adha is called the “Festival of Sacrifice” and is one of the most important Islamic holidays of the year, followed by Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. “Eids last four days, and the first day is the most important for family gatherings,” Alruwaili says. Albania Loriza Hasa ’20, astronomy and astrophysics The first 12 seconds of New Year’s Day are spent eating 12 grapes at Loriza Hasa’s home in Albania. A dozen grapes symbolize 12 months of luck for the new year. “Some families also believe that the fate of that year will depend on how lucky the first person who steps inside the house after New Year’s Eve [is],” Hasa says. Hasa’s family usually puts up a tree early in December and takes it down a few days after New Year’s Eve. Giving gifts and postcards is also part of their tradition, as well as eating turkey for dinner and baklava for desert. “At midnight, you go to the center of the city to fire fireworks, then celebrate with friends,” Hasa says. “After that night, we usually expect visitors and go visit family friends to wish them Happy New Year’s.” Iran Shahin Shafiee ’16 Ph.D., mechanical engineering Mohsen Dehghan ’19 Ph.D., biomedical engineering Around the same time as Christmas, Shahin Shafiee celebrates the winter solstice in Iran. The Persian calendar is based on the sun, so on the longest night of the year Persians come together to celebrate Yalda. It’s often celebrated with common Persian food, fruits, nuts and other goodies. Special fruits served during the holiday are watermelon and pomegranate. Another tradition is to read poems by one of Iran’s greatest poets, Hafez. “Many people in Iran celebrate Christmas just as a nice time to be happy. I celebrate Christmas because I want to make it easier for my family to integrate into American culture. So, Santa brings gifts for my kids, too,” Shafiee says. Mohsen Dehghan’s favorite winter solstice tradition is sharing old legends, like the one where Santa kicks out the wizard. “It is told that during Yalda, an old man with a long white beard comes to town with a lantern in hand and kicks the old wizard out.” Dehghan points out that many anthropologists and archaeologists believe this old man and Santa Claus are one in the same. Aruba Aaron Martes ’19, forensic psychology From October to December, it’s not uncommon for Arubans, like Aaron Martes, to come across Aruba’s version of Christmas carolers. Known as Gaita, Aruban musicians adopted traditional Venezuelan Christmas music and made it their own with instruments that include bass, piano, timbal and congas. “Gaita groups usually collect money, food, beverages and other gifts, and a portion of the collection is usually donated to charity,” Martes says. Ethiopia Adonai Samson ’21, civil engineering Six weeks before Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated, Adonai Samson’s family start to fast. They continue to fast until early Christmas morning, which happens the first week of January. Just before their fasting ends, the whole family goes to church at midnight. Once the service is over, the head of the household breaks the traditional Ethiopian bread known as himbasha. “We stand around in a circle to symbolize how, together as a family, we can protect each other and help one another,” Samson says. India Iruthayaraju Andrews ’16, ocean engineering Nativity scenes, Christmas trees and stars outside homes are all part of Iruthayaraju Andrews’ holiday traditions in India. “Our Christmas decoration starts with decorating a star at the entrance of our home, which symbolizes the arrival of Jesus Christ,” Andrews says. Indians go all-in when it comes to Nativity scenes. “We tend to get very creative, creating mountain-like structures and make it look realistic,” Andrews says. “Sometimes, people even build a small village next to the Nativity scene.” Andrews says that his family decorates the Christmas tree with fancy ornaments and lights and hangs paper decorations throughout the living room. “On Christmas Eve, we usually go to mass at the church around midnight, then come back home and pray a little family prayer before we go to sleep for the night.” Rangoli is a unique Indian art form that usually involves an elaborate design created on the ground infusing colored rice, flour, sand or flower petals. “Christmas morning, Indians have the habit of drawing rangoli in the front of their main door whether they celebrate Christmas or not.” Christmas Day at Andrews’ home typically involves hanging out with neighbors and sharing cakes and sweets. Even neighbors who don’t celebrate Christmas join in on the traditions. Honduras Alejandra Maria Escobar Santos Each year on Dec. 31, families gather in the Barrio La Hoya neighborhood of Alejandra Maria Escobar Santos’ home city, Juticalpa, Honduras, for the “Año Viejo,” or the “old year” celebration. “Neighbors get together to make the Año Viejo, a lifesize humanoid figure with clothing and accessories, made mostly of fireworks,” Escobar Santos says. To end the year with a bang, Año Viejo is ignited into a spectacle of light. The fireworks explode in various styles and shapes, including long chains of explosions and unique butterfly shapes. At midnight, families hug to celebrate the year to come. “I love this tradition, as I’m always with my family. And before midnight, we always sing happy birthday to my cousin, Maria Jose, born the 31st, as well as make a prayer for the family.”

Saudi Arabia

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