Students Give An International Take on the Holiday Season

UB boasts an impressively diverse student population, with the far-reaching effects of this diversity making itself apparent in the number of clubs, organizations and cultural celebrations throughout the year.

During the holiday season, this diversity of culture and religion comes to the forefront. And just as students share in the culture of others during fiestas and cultural celebrations during the year, many students say they have come to learn to partake in and enjoy the many holiday celebrations of others.

Yin Zhang, an international graduate student studying economics, is excited about celebrating Christmas with friends in New York City.

"It's great because everywhere you can hear Christmas music and see Christmas trees, I like that," Zhang said. "Even though in China we are not Christians, the young generation will get together to have a party."

Cheng Ta Lee, a junior business major from Taiwan, said he will be celebrating the Chinese New Year on Feb. 9. Ta Lee said his family always gathers the evening before for a meal and countdown.

"It is the biggest festival in Asian countries," he said. "On the day, we wear new clothes. This is to throw away the bad things and start a whole new year. The elderly give out red packets filled with money to the children," Ta Lee added.

Ta Lee said he is also looking forward to celebrating Christmas for the first time this year after growing up hearing about Santa Claus from movies, TV and storybooks.

To some for whom the idea of Christmas and Hanukkah is anything but foreign, the method of celebration and the focus of the holidays varies.

"It's a warm, comfortable time," said Justin Trybus, a sophomore psychology major who celebrates Christmas. "A time when I actually see all my family."

Other students like to focus on the religious aspects of the holidays they celebrate.

"For me, it's more of a day of remembrance and thanksgiving," said Jennifer Fooks, a sophomore undecided major who also celebrates Christmas. "We try to make it more of a celebration and praise. We really try to focus on the birth of Jesus."

Fooks and her family also keep the holiday spirit alive in some unorthodox ways. "We have wrapping paper wars. Even my grandma gets into it. She was on her oxygen and whipping wrapping paper," she said.

Rachel Giroux, a freshman physical therapy major at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, has her own unique family tradition.

"Our family finds the funniest looking Christmas tree, one with a really long stump, we like them like that. Then we put a raccoon on top," Giroux said. "I'm not really sure how that got started or why we do it."

Alekos Bouchlis, sophomore history major at Binghamton University, whose parents are from Greece, revels in the tradition of his grandma's circular good luck break bread.

"My grandma bakes this large circular loaf of break bread. A coin is put in the bread before it is baked," Bouchlis said. "Each slice represents a certain person, the first few slices are for Jesus, then the house gets one, then it goes by age. Whoever finds the coin gets good luck for the entire year."

Junior business major Melissa Federick's favorite tradition occurs on a particular Saturday two weeks before Christmas.

"My family is Italian and all the women get together and we make the ravioli for Christmas day," she said. "We cook everything together. It takes hours and hours, but it's fun."

Greg Sherman, a sophomore biology major said his traditions have changed over the years.

"It used to be about presents, I loved those times. Now it's more about just being able to spend time with family and friends. And eating."

Anna Gossin, a sophomore English major who celebrates Hanukkah, said the holidays have a special place in her heart.

"If the holidays didn't exist, I don't know what I'd do. They just seem to be part of my psyche at this point," she said.

Canadian international student Jenna VanGroenewoud, a sophomore English major, said she favors the quirks of Boxing Day, Dec. 26.

"Boxing day is basically when everyone takes back the stuff they got for Christmas that they don't want," she said. "Personally, I think it's odd to name a day after that."

Asad Rizvi, a freshman history major, celebrated Eid Al-Fitr on Nov. 14 to mark the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the 10th Islamic month. "To remember the good things that God has given us," he said.

Like many other holidays, Rizvi said the day is also about spending time with family.

"It is a day of celebration and feasting, a happy occasion," said Rizvi who is a Shia Islam and celebrates Eid Al-Fitr with his family with the traditional greeting "Eid Mubarak" which means, Happy Eid.

For many busy university students who spend months at a time away from home, the holiday celebration, be it Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Eid Al-Fitr, is only complete when it features one key element.

"The biggest thing is family," said Frederick. "It's the one time a year everyone really sits down and talks. It's just nice to be able to catch up."