'Tis the Season: Holiday Traditions at MU
Mariella Angeles
As the holiday season nears, Manchester students are ready to embrace their holiday traditions with their friends and families. Each encompass unique cultural foods, events and gift-giving customs.
Taro Miyazaki is a senior exchange student from Japan. He attended Hokusei University which is a partner school of MU. He is a senior and is studying English Education and Digital Communication. He said that the end of the year and the New Year’s Period is filled with many traditions unique to the Japanese culture. For instance, he and his family eat a lot of Mochi, a Japanese rice cake, and Ozoni, soup with mocha.
He said that on New Year’s Day, people in Japan will go to a shrine and pray to Shinto god for their health, success, and all other good things for the upcoming year. Miyazaki also said that he loves MU because he has been experiencing diversity of people and culture, which is something that he was not able to experience back in his home country of Japan.
Rachel Roths, senior athletic training major, who resides in Chesterton, IN, says that she and her family eat out at the same Mexican restaurant on Christmas Eve. They also do last-minute Christmas shopping and have a big a hearty breakfast Christmas morning. Roths also enjoys wearing Christmas-themed pajamas with her families and friends.
Katie Green, junior education major, says her family members each open one present on Christmas Eve and the present is always Christmas-themed PJs.
And they also eat pizza while in their new PJs. Nick Surber, sophomore sociology major, who hails from Hebron, IN, says that he and his family watch the National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” movie every year and says they always have ribs for Christmas dinner.
Daymon Marlowe, says that he and his family put up their tree the day after Thanksgiving and they all decorate it together. He also said that he will continually listen to Mariah Carey’s and Kelly Clarkson’s respective Christmas albums.
Grace Ondrla, junior exercise science major, who is from Warsaw, IN, says that her family goes sledding on Christmas Day, no matter the weather. Her family even once went sledding over ice.
I for one, celebrate Christmas with my family a bit differently. In the Filipino culture we celebrate all day on Christmas Eve. We have family members go in and out of the house all day and it is one giant festive party. Once midnight hits, we all open presents. We then all go to sleep, only to wake up again and start the mingling and bonding all over again Christmas Day. It is two days of catching up with family, eating a copious amount of food, and just enjoying the warmth of all of the holiday cheer.
Have a wonderful and safe holiday, Spartans!