One of the great things about Andrews is the diversity of the campus. After returning from Christmas break, there’s a great opportunity for us to learn about a diverse set of traditions from the people we see every day! I asked a few people how they celebrate Christmas and the holiday season, and each person’s traditions were so heartwarming and unique.
Abigael Isoe (freshman, computer engineering) described to me what her house was like on Christmas. She said, “For my family, Christmas is Thanksgiving part two. It’s a whole lot of cooking, eating, movie-watching, and basketball. It’s mandatory that everyone pitches in for food preparation! There’s all kinds of music playing in the background as the food is made. There’s dancing, singing, and a whole lot of chaos in the kitchen.” I love the chaotic picture of everyone in the kitchen helping to prepare the food. It must be an opportunity to really have fun and enjoy spending time with people that really matter to you.
I asked Samantha Flores (sophomore, music education) about her yearly Christmas traditions. She told me that, instead of celebrating Christmas on the 25th, her family celebrates on Christmas Eve. They make a huge dinner, and every year, they make tamales. Tamales are a traditional dish made with steamed dough that can be filled with meat, beans, cheese, etc. She told me that eating tamales for dinner on the 24th is a Central American tradition and that the meal on the 24th is always bigger than Thanksgiving. After they eat together, they all go open their presents.
Cyril Punay (interim graduate choral conductor) is from the Philippines, and I asked him what his Christmas traditions are. Cyril told me how Christmas starts in September in the Philippines! He described how the streets are decorated, saying, “Houses light up with parols and colorful light bulbs, making the surroundings look a lot more colorful at night.” Parols are colorful handmade Christmas lanterns that families will make together. Cyril told me how kids go around to their family members and close friends, greeting them with the words “namamasko po,” a greeting that is used when the kids want to encourage them to give generously. Lastly, Cyril mentioned that an important part of Christmas in the Philippines is “noche buena,” a tradition where families eat dinner together and express their gratitude. He said that it is a lot like Thanksgiving, but instead takes place on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions that I learned about was from Dersanys Holguin (sophomore, medical laboratory science), and this tradition was “Aguinaldos Navideños.” She mentioned that this holiday is practiced in the Caribbean, and explained how, starting at 3:00 a.m., church members walk around the town singing Christmas songs in the street. She said, “Almost the entire town participates, and after they finish touring the town, they meet in a place to drink tea and hot chocolate with bread.” I think that this tradition sounds like so much fun; I would love to experience it. She continued, “Also, at Christmas, it is a tradition for everyone (especially children) to dress in new clothes on December 25.” While dressed in their new clothes, parents take their kids to the park where they all play, dance, and eat.
I asked Megan Woodcock (sophomore, architecture) about her Christmas traditions. She also has unique traditions with her family! She said, “One of the Christmas traditions my family has done since I was young was to hold a family talent show on Christmas Eve. Each of us (in my family of 7) would choose a different skill to show off.” I love the picture of her and all her siblings performing something cool or entertaining for the rest of them. She explained to me how they would get creative: sometimes, they would work together to perform skits, or they would use colorful handbells to play Christmas music. It sounds like so much fun. Megan also explained how recently, they started a “secret sibling” tradition: “Instead of us all buying gifts for each other, my siblings and I each draw someone else’s name, and then they are the people we buy gifts for that Christmas. Since there are only 5 of us, it is usually pretty easy to find out who has whom, but it is fun and a good way that all of my siblings can connect during the holidays.” I think that this new tradition is not only fun but also very practical for a family of 7!
Guilherme Martins (sophomore, mechanical engineering) is from Brazil, and he has some unique Christmas traditions: “In Brazil, it’s very common to go down to the beach for Christmas. Unlike the US, Brazil experiences Christmas during the summer, so everyone tries to escape from the heat and heads down to the beach for Christmas and New Year’s. My family and I rent a house near the beach during these times to enjoy family time together and the Atlantic ocean.” I think that we usually think of Christmas as a cold holiday, but in a lot of places in the world, it's quite warm at Christmastime. Gui also told me about something else that his family does occasionally: “One of the uncles from the family dresses up as Santa and hands out the gifts to everyone.” Finally, he explained that his family opens gifts on the 24th after a family dinner. A beach Christmastime experience sounds like a lot of fun!
I loved learning about so many different Christmas traditions from different people across campus. Everyone has very unique ways of celebrating, and learning about them is so enriching. Though everyone celebrates differently with their own traditions, I think that it's also really important to recognize the similarities between everyone as well! In the end, the heart of everyone’s traditions is spending time with people who are most special to us.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.