International students share their country's holiday traditions |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Dec 10 2008 at 2:34 PM |
By Jenny Gierhan
Antelope Staff
UNK students are getting really excited for winter break. Americans celebrate Christmas by exchanging gifts and New Year's Eve by counting down and watching the ball drop, but what about the international students? Three different country's holidays and traditions are represented by UNK international students.
JAPAN
Yusuke Yamasara, an exercise science major from Japan, spends the holidays with friends.
"I celebrate the same holidays in Japan as Americans do. We have Christmas and New Year's," he said.
He said both holidays are meant to be fun for all while enjoying time together. During the Christmas holidays, Yamasara said they eat special cakes, sushi and European style food.
New Year's in Japan consists of many families coming together for a nice traditional meal.
"We usually eat osechi. It has many different foods on the plate such as lobster and vegetables," Yamasara said.
This year he plans to ring in the New Year in Kearney with friends, which make up for not being with his family, Yamasara said.
"I will probably be going out to the bars to celebrate," Yamasara said.
CHINA
So what are the holidays like for the Chinese? Shuyao Yang, a junior accounting major from China said the holidays in her home country are centered on friends, family and food. She said that Dec. 31 is just like the American Christmas.
"It's different in China though because in America during Christmas the streets are empty and shops are closed. In China, everyone goes out on the streets to shop. The stores back home are open much longer," Yang said.
Dec. 31 is similar to the American Christmas because older members of the family give presents to the younger members of the family. It is a one-way street with gift giving because only the children receive presents. It doesn't matter how old you are in China, you are still considered a child.
In America it is tradition to have ham on Christmas and turkey on Thanksgiving, but in China, the traditional food is dumpling.
"On Dec. 31 it is tradition to travel to the father's mother to say Happy New Year. All the young people play cards while the elders play mah jong. At night when it's pitch black, there are fireworks," Yang said.
The Chinese invented fireworks so the displays are very extravagant and loud. "You can't hear one another speak the firework shows are so loud," Yang said.
Americans sometimes get in a bind deciding which side of the family to visit for the holidays. Some families are able to take turns and sometimes it causes problems with families. In China, it is the general rule that the mother's mother will be visited on Jan. 1 or 2 and the father's mother on Dec. 31.
TAJIKISTAN
"This holiday break I will be celebrating Tajikistan's Independence Day," said Azim Hojaev, a freshman international studies major from Tajikistan.
Dec. 9 marks Tajikistan's independence from Russia in 1991. There was no war or fighting for their independence; independence resulted from the fall of the Soviet Union. Hojaev said Russia's control was good in the eyes of some and bad in the eyes of others. He said he thinks Russia's control was kind of bad because no one could practice any religion.
"It's always a good thing to have independence," Hojaev said. "We celebrate by going out to restaurants for shish kabobs and then watch fireworks at night."
Hojaev, the only student studying abroad from Tajikistan at UNK, said he can't really celebrate Independence Day this year because he will be in Kearney.
Even though these students are from different countries, one thing is consistent, and that is who the time is spent with during the holidays. Family and friends make the holidays for all cultures.
