The Online Reflector

No matter where students are from, holidays usually are a time for families to get together. For University of Indianapolis students from other countries, however, keeping traditions alive is not easy.

Senior international business major Qingyan Chen came from China to study at UIndy, leaving behind Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival, the two biggest Chinese holidays.

Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the fall harvest. Chen said that Chinese families reunite and eat traditional round pastries called mooncakes.

“These days, mooncakes have different flavors, but in ancient times, they maybe only put nuts in it,” Chen said. “These days, they can put the red bean paste in it, or they even put ham. It also has bird’s nest flavor nowadays. I think it’s odd, but some people may buy it.”

Spring Festival begins on the first day of the Chinese New Year, which coincides with the beginning of the lunar calendar.

As they do for most holidays, Chinese families give gifts to each other for Spring Festival. According to Chen, these gifts usually come in a little red envelope.

“They will put money in it [a red envelope] and give it to the kids who still do not work or are not married. It’s like a tradition,” Chen said. “Because red, in China, means luck and good fortune.”

However, choosing to study abroad means Chinese students often cannot spend holidays with their families.

“Chinese Spring Festival is usually in February,” Chen said. “But in February here, we have to study. So I don’t get the chance to go back to China.”

Rather than celebrate alone, however, the Chinese Student Union holds a gala in the Schwitzer Student Center, for the whole campus to celebrate. The gala offers students who are not from China an opportunity to experience a different culture.

Spring Festival is traditionally 15 days long, ending with the Lanterns Day,  when families light lanterns and set off fireworks.

Chen is disappointed in the holiday’s decline in Chinese culture. She said that traditional holidays are not as important as they used to be.

“I think these days, China has, to some extent, lost their tradition. They will spend more time to celebrate Christmas or Thanksgiving in China,” Chen said. “I don’t like it. We have to respect and keep our own traditions. It’s our own heritage.”

In places such as India, however, having holidays from many different traditions is normal. Graduate physical therapy student Deepika Gupte said that Diwali is one of the most celebrated holidays but there are other major holidays as well.

“There are a different number of holidays depending on the religion. There are a lot of people in India who practice different religions,” Gupte said.

During the week before Diwali, foods are prepared, and people buy new clothes. Gupte said that there are no specific sweets for Diwali, so they bake a large variety of them, including Ladoos, a sweet coconut treat.

Hindus traditionally celebrate at the end of the harvest during Diwali and worship Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity.

“The first day, it is said to be auspicious to buy anything,” Gupte said. “So people usually buy gold or invest in some stock.”

According to Gupte, families then make large drawings called Rangoli on their doorsteps in colorful chalk. Rangoli welcomes family members and invites Lakshmi into the celebration. People then light small candles or oil tea-lights, which are considered to be good omens.

According to Gupte, the second day is practically the same as the first.

“Then, on the third day, there is a puja, or kind of a worship ceremony, in the evening,” Gupte said. “And we worship all the gold, silver, even money and an idol or a small coin of the goddess.”

Gupte said that after the puja, they continue to celebrate with gifts and fireworks.

“The last day is Bhaubeej, and it is significant for siblings, brothers and sisters,” Gupte said. “A sister kind of gives a gift to her brother, and it’s a vice-versa thing.”

The religious celebrations of India differ from the relaxed celebrations of the Bahamas. According to freshman business education major Roshanne Smith, most Bahamian holidays are less about tradition than about getting a day off work.

“Our culture is just about relaxation. Like we don’t ever stress about anything. So our holidays are a big part of that,” Smith said. “Whatever relaxation we need from work, we just use our holidays to accommodate for it.”

But their Independence Day, July 9, is a big deal. Bahamians gather at 9 p.m. the day before for the festival. At midnight, there are fireworks. There are performances by their military marching band, as well as musicians and dancers. Smith said that everyone wears the colors of the flag—aquamarine, black and yellow—all week. Food also is a big part of the celebration.

“We eat what you guys [Americans] eat. We sell potato salad, coleslaw. But it’s all twisted,” Smith said. “We sell like peas and rice with steamed pork chops—the whole shebang.”

Smith said the big celebration does not mean that Bahamians are preserving their culture. Western holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s are celebrated. They also  unofficially celebrate Thanksgiving.

“I think it’s kind of ironic, honestly, because we say we’re so proud to be Bahamian on Independence Day. And I just don’t think we’re doing original things anymore,” Smith said. “We’re just adapting to other cultures, especially American culture, which is sad.”

Junkanoo is a twist on these western holidays. On both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, Junkanoo happens in many locations throughout the Bahamas, with the biggest celebration in Nassau. Local residents head down to Bay St. to listen to music and watch the competition of colorful costumes made out of feathers, cardboard and shiny fabric.

Smith said it is like the Macy’s Parade, but more creative. She explained the tradition and recalled a Junkanoo that her grandmother took her and her cousins to.

“She carried all of us. It was like at least 15 grandkids in this Jeep…. We went down to Junkanoo, and we were just fascinated,” Smith said. “That’s the thing to do, like you and your family go down to Junkanoo.”