By Laura Steinfort
Some may say the best season of the year has started and we are already counting the days until Christmas. For those who celebrate, traditions are influenced by their cultural backgrounds. We asked some Panthers, including international and exchange students, how they celebrate the holidays. Through conversations with Tara Finn, an exchange student from
Australia majoring in psychology and criminology; senior exchange student Federica Murgolo from Italy, who is studying English literature; Mariam Dzadzamia, an international student from Georgia majoring in fine arts; and sophomore Ryan James Donovan, who is majoring in psychology and is from New York, we uncovered the rich diversity of the Christmas spirit.
Unlike America and most other parts of the world, Australia celebrates the festive days in their hot summer. So instead of snow with hot cocoa, they have beaches with refreshing cocktails. The holiday season usually starts Dec. 20. On the 25th Australians have their main celebration at lunch, featuring seafood, a roast and for dessert a summery pavlova is served.
Finn said to stay hydrated in this hot weather Australians reach for refreshing cocktails while cooling down in the pool. On the 26th they celebrate Boxing Day, enjoying time with friends and family, while playing some backyard cricket or watching some other sportive activities.
The Christmas tree is decorated with ornaments, tinsel and twinkling lights. While Finn said she usually celebrates Christmas in a small family circle with her dad and brother, they extend the festivities with “family friends down the road.” Gift exchanging is typically limited to the close family whereas the extended family enjoys Kris Kringle, also known as Secret Santa.
In Italy, Christmas is a festivity of faith, food and loved ones. The holiday is a deeply rooted celebration of traditions and the Catholic religion. Murgolo explained that her holiday celebration begins on Christmas Eve.
“I usually have dinner with my family and friends. We play games and we wait until midnight together to exchange gifts, marking a very important tradition,” she said. “I’d say it wouldn’t be Christmas without them! Christmas Day the 25th is more intimate, centered with a family lunch. Whereas, the second Christmas Day, the 26th, which in Italy is also known as St. Stephen’s Day, is more centered around friends while enjoying the time together with some games like tombola, food and Secret Santa.”
For Italians, the holiday season extends well beyond the Christmas days until Jan. 6, which marks the epiphany. On this day the children eagerly receive stockings filled with sweets, or if the children did not behave that year, they receive coal in place of delicious candy.
Besides the Christmas tree that is prepared on Nov. 21, the day of “la Bambinella,” a holy day in Catholicism, Murgolo stressed the importance of the “Presepe” (nativity scene) as a staple in Italian homes.
Food also plays an indispensable role in Christmas traditions in Italy, with desserts like Panettone, pandoro and regional delicatesse like cartellate (a honey-coated pastry). Murgolo is very invested in the season.
“I love Christmas. It’s my favorite celebration and I get very excited when the season approaches,” she said. “Usually I prepare by helping my parents set up the tree and the ‘presepe,’ cooking for when we have guests over for Christmas dinner or lunch, visiting local Christmas markets, picking out gifts for relatives and friends.”
In Georgia, Christmas also has roots in ancient traditions, following the Orthodox Church with a blend of modern joy in a month-long celebration. Christmas is celebrated twice, on Dec. 25 and Jan. 7, following the old Julian calendar. Still, most people celebrate on the 7th. The general festive season lasts from mid-December to mid-January, making it a month full of festivities and customs, including many “Supras,” which are traditional Georgian feasts an essential part of their celebratory holiday. Featuring many signature dishes like Khachapuri and lots of red wine and on New Year’s Eve, the Georgians start the New Year celebration with a very special dessert only made on this day, Gozinaki (made with walnuts and honey).
Dzadzamia said, “Preparing these traditional dishes makes the season even more special. My favorite part is how the celebrations stretch from December to mid-January, giving us plenty of time to reconnect with all our relatives, friends and their families. The frequent Sufra dinners bring everyone together, creating a sense of community and joy.’’ This also includes Fate Day, on Jan. 2. Families believe that this day reflects the year ahead and gather with their loved ones to ensure positivity. The Christmas tree selection is very unique in this country since traditionally they choose a “Chichilaki,” a white wooden tree symbolizing hope and renewal. Also, the gift exchange is not as important in their culture; they’d rather exchange meaningful presents throughout the whole year.
In America, the Christmas bells begin to chime as soon as the sun rises on Dec. 25. But for Donovan, the celebration begins on Christmas Eve “when at least me and my family go out for dinner and it is always fondue.” The big celebration takes place at his grandmother’s house with the rest of the family and a big feast, which they usually head to after they spend Christmas morning together exchanging gifts. The meal typically includes a roast, chicken parmesan, mashed potatoes, carrots and peas while enjoying drinks like eggnog, American beer and sodas.
In Donovan’s family, the Christmas tree decoration is deeply personal. “We have ornaments that are meaningful to us (...) they all have some sort of meaning behind them.”
While the concept of gift exchanges is overall a nice activity and a common custom, Donovan emphasized that the true meaning of the holiday is “to be together and the gifts are a sub-point.’’ Aside from all the gifts and glamour, he admits that out of everything, one of his favorite parts of the holiday season is experiencing the Christmas magic in NYC, where sparkling lights and decorations transform the city into a holiday spirit hotspot.
Commenti