International Holiday

December 13, 2011
by Kimberly

Community Diversity International

Last week we had an international student dinner to celebrate the end of the semester. Everyone brought a traditional dish from their culture or from their family. All the food was amazing and each dish was even judged for prizes according to taste and presentation. My favorite part of the evening however was sitting down at the long table in the OT Lifestyle redesign Center and talking about all of our different holiday traditions. There was a large Christmas tree at the end of the room which spurred on discussions of Christmas and where the tree comes from, how to decorate it, what the significance of the star is, etc. We also heard about the Chinese Moon Festival and the history behind eating moon cakes. We heard a YouTube recording of an Indian song sung in all the different dialects and languages the nation speaks. How being married in some cultures means you are an adult and thus need to now provide presents for all the kids as opposed to receiving them. There were discussions of what family traditions surround this time of year for everyone and whether or not people were getting to go home. It was a nice celebration in the middle of study week and gave us a chance to pause. I think the fact that we all take time during this season to pause it one of my favorite parts. So, even if you are still working or taking that last final, remember to pause and reflect on your traditions, your celebrations, the people around you and all that has happened this past year.

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