Students from across the world shared how they cherish their unique holiday traditions with their families
Christmas, the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth, is typically observed on Dec. 25 in the United States. The student body of BYU–Hawaii, which comes from more than 60 countries, brings with it numerous other traditions surrounding the holiday season. Students from around the world shared about different traditions they have with the same goal of spending time with family and enjoying the joy of the holiday.
Celebrating with food
Gabriel Thorup, a sophomore from California who grew up in Thailand and is majoring in biology, shared the unique Danish traditions he celebrates with his family during Christmas. Thorup said due to his dad's Danish heritage, their family celebrates Christmas with a mix of Danish traditions passed down from his grandparents. He said his Christmas celebrations include a family dinner where they prepare Danish recipes.
On Christmas Eve, Thorup said “We make this specific Danish dessert, a rice pudding with finely chopped almonds and one whole almond hidden within it. The tradition involves mixing in various jams and sauces to enhance the flavor of the pudding.” He said the family members search for the hidden whole almond in the pudding as part of the tradition, which makes the meal more engaging and enjoyable.
“The person who finds the almond gets to playfully tease the others. Traditionally, the winner is rewarded with a marzipan pig, which is a small sculpture made of marzipan. It is a sweet confection made from almonds and sugar, commonly used in various desserts.”
Thorup’s family also eats other traditional Christmas foods, he said. “On Christmas morning, my family and I make Danish pancake balls, which are hollow and filled with sugar, jam or other fillings. We exchange gifts, usually through a Secret Santa exchange among the siblings.”
Additionally, Thorup said when he was younger, his father made woven paper heart ornaments filled with chocolate chips and hid them in the Christmas tree for the children to find. Thorup said his parents also include an orange at the bottom of everyone’s stockings.
For Jaleh Younessian, a senior majoring in cultural anthropology from California, the area of Orange County she lives in is known as “mini-Tehran,” due to the high number of Iranian and during the holidays, she celebrates Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
According to the Rahavard Persian Journal, seven symbolic items are put on the table for the celebration, which in Persian is called “Haft-sin,” meaning seven items. The seven items are Samanu, Senjed, Sabzeh, Somaq, Serkeh, Seeb and Seer.
Samanu, or sweet wheat paste, symbolizes power and strength. Senjed, the fruit of a native Iranian lotus tree, symbolizes love. Sabzeh is sprouted wheatgrass that represents growth and rebirth. Somaq is the saffron spice that comes from a dusty flower, representing the sunrise. Serkeh, or vinegar, is a symbol of age and patience. Seeb, an apple, is the symbol of beauty. Finally, seer, or garlic, symbolizes health and medicine.
In addition to the seven symbolic items, a Nowruz History and Tradition article by Indiana University explained four additional items are included in the table spread. Added are eggs to symbolize fertility, a mirror as a reminder for self-reflection on the past year, a candle to symbolize enlightenment, a goldfish to symbolize progress and finally, a book to symbolize wisdom.
Beyond the fun community celebrations, Rebecca Sneddon, a freshman majoring in vocal performance from the state of Bavaria in Germany, said, “It’s more about being with family on Christmas Day.” Similarly, Lluna Garcia Risquez, a junior majoring in psychology from Spain, said “[Christmas is] all about family.”
She said in Spain, they share a big meal called Nochebuena, meaning “good night,” the night of Christmas Eve. Nochebuena is typically shared with the mother’s side of the family. The following morning, Risquez explained, is spent with the other side of the family. “You open presents and eat another huge meal.”
The magic of traditions
Morgan Mickelsen, a senior majoring in history education from Texas, said she pushes her family to keep up with their family traditions. Mickelsen described in detail the various Christmas traditions her family follows throughout the month of December. These traditions include reading a Christmas story every day, making homemade goodies like fudge and toffee, caroling for families in their community, opening new pajamas on Christmas Eve, having a dance party, watching old family videos, spending all of Christmas day in their new pajamas and opening gifts in a specific order on Christmas morning, she said.
“Some people may find these traditions burdensome, but for me, they add excitement and magic to the holiday season,” Mickelsen said.
“I see each tradition as an opportunity to learn and grow, particularly in areas like service, baking and family bonding. These experiences have shaped me into the person I am today, and I often find myself recalling these memories throughout the year, which serves as a reminder of the values I hold dear,” she added.
Mickelsen also emphasized the significance of having a live Christmas tree each year, saying she could never settle for an artificial one. “Getting a real Christmas tree with my family has become a cherished tradition, usually accompanied by a special outing and dinner,” she said. Decorating the tree is also something she eagerly looks forward to, she said, and is often accompanied by watching a Christmas movie and enjoying candy canes and hot chocolate.
She shared how she felt great joy in unwrapping the handmade Christmas ornaments made by her grandmother, which hold sentimental value for her and her siblings. Despite her grandmother having a large number of grandchildren, Mickelsen said the tradition of creating a unique ornament for each grandchild has continued, adding to the warmth and magic of the holiday season.
Mickelsen said, “Christmas adds to the excitement and the magic. I feel it makes it so special to have a time of the year when we think about giving to others, service, Christ and all the good, happy things that come along with Christmas. I feel embedded in each of these Christmas traditions.”
Younessian said the annual Nowruz celebration helped her embrace her Persian cultural heritage. She was born to a Persian father and a British mother who both immigrated to the United States. She explained, the unity within her family is centered on embracing their traditional Persian roots as a family.
Younessian explained Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is a blissful celebration symbolizing a new beginning, bringing together cultural heritage values and family tradition. Like Easter, she said, “This celebration is a symbol of a new birth, new things, and life and fertility.” Unlike the one-day affair of the American New Year, she said Nowruz spans over seven to 13 days, following the Zoroastrian calendar.
Gratitude in heritage
“My favorite childhood memory of this celebration was when my dad danced with me.” Younessian recalled. “It was the best.” She explained this celebration has always been a constant reminder of the sacrifices her father made to have a new life in the United States without neglecting his roots.
Younessian said growing up, she realized how frequently people who share her similar Persian identity are stereotyped and overlooked. She said in the past, she heard people things about Persian culture such as, “Aren’t you extinct?” or “Didn’t all the Greeks kill you in the war?” For her family, she said it was challenging to live with this kind of stereotyping. However, she explained history and the opinions of others do not define her Persian identity. Younessian said her father always encourages her to say, “No, we are not extinct. We are not violent. We are very much alive, thriving and truly happy people.”
Keanu Pahio, a senior majoring in computer science from French Polynesia, said Younessian embraced the examples her father gave. He said he could see the sacrifices Younessian’s father made that helped her become who she is. “She is proud of her parents, but she also knows [carrying that heritage] could put a little more pressure on her.” Despite all the challenges she faced, Pahio said, “She always showed her positive attitude toward her challenge. I can see the effort she made as president of the Middle Eastern Club. It was all great.”
Sneddon explained German Christmas celebrations begin on Nov. 11, beginning with St. Martin’s Day. The four Sundays leading up to Christmas are called Adventskranz, she said. German homes have a circular wreath that sits on the table, with four candles. Each Sunday, as Christmas gets closer, one more candle is lit. Sneddon said. “The closer you get to Christmas, the more light you have in your home, and the closer Christ is.”
“Christmas [in Germany] is so magical…it’s not about gifts, and not as commercialized,” Sneddon said. With St. Martin’s Day starting the Christmas season, she said they celebrate by doing something called Laternelaufen. On this day, she explained that all of the elementary-aged kids and their families would make their own lanterns and walk the streets singing traditional songs.
In Spain, like in Germany, Christmas is celebrated over many days. “It’s a two-week celebration,” said Risquez. In America, she acknowledged there is so much build-up to Christmas and all the festivities are done after Dec. 6. However, she said in Spain the Christmas season does not end until Jan. 6.
Family gathering
Karolina Benidio, an accounting junior from Portugal, said Portugal’s Christmas celebration is two days long, on Dec. 24 and 25, however, celebrations often take place during the night. She explained the grand Christmas Eve dinner does not start until 8 p.m. “We actually stay up until [midnight] and that’s when the kids can open the gifts.” Benidio said her grandparents take the gift-opening tradition very seriously. “We were so tired,” she recalled.
Though tired, Benidio said after the gifts, the family stays until around 3 a.m. playing card games. Benidio said, “I don’t know if it is just my family that does this…[but] because we eat so much [during the Christmas Eve feast] we usually just eat soup while we play cards.”
Folk traditions
According to Sneddon, Bavarian celebrations do not use the iteration of Santa Claus common to Americans. They focus on “Christkind, which means the Christ Child,” says Sneddon. Instead of Santa coming on Dec. 24, she explained St. Nicholas comes on Dec. 6. “If you put any type of boot outside your doorstep, … when you wake up on [Dec. 6], you wake up to cute goodies,” Sneddon said.
Risquez said a unique Christmas tradition in Spain involves the three magic kings, who are viewed as more important than Santa Claus. It is inspired by the three wise men in the scriptures. However, she clarified the literal translation is the three magic kings. “They come on the fifth [night] of January, so we have double the presents,” Risquez said.
Christ-centered traditions
Sneddon explained a lot of the public schools have Catholic or Protestant church services. If someone misses mass, they would need a note from their parents with an explanation. She said the schools are fairly involved with this Christian holiday. “It is interesting because here [the U.S.] you can’t even pray [as a class in school]… But there, it is so part of their culture.”
Like Germany, Benidio said, “Portugal is a very Catholic country, so we absorb that into our Christmas.” One Catholic tradition Benidio explained was abstaining from meat on Christmas Eve and eating lamb on Christmas Day.
“Last year was the first time I went back home [since being in college],” said Benidio. She described fond memories of the past Christmas walking through the park with her family in between big meals. “We have one specific place in my city where we have this huge Christmas tree full of lights.” She said she loves to see everyone happy.
Kamilah Pedersen, a sophomore from Canada majoring in intercultural peacebuilding, said her favorite Christmas tradition happens on Christmas Eve. She said, “Right before bed, we all gather in the living room holding an unlit candle. My mom opens by explaining that the whole point of Christmas is Christ.”
Pedersen’s mom then lights her candle and shares a blessing from this past year that she particularly appreciates, said Pedersen. After doing so, Pedersen said her mom will light the candle of the person next to her and they all share something they’re grateful for. She said it goes around the room until everyone’s candle is lit.
“My mom then talks about how each of our candles represents our testimony and how, in a dark world during dark times, even one testimony can make such a difference and can be a light to help guide and comfort those around us.
“She also talks about how sharing our testimony with those present increases the light and warmth around us, creating a ripple effect of love and gratitude. We then close with a Christmas hymn to help keep the spirit with us as we go to bed,” shared Pedersen.
She said the reason this is her favorite tradition is because it emphasizes the truth of how uniquely individual and yet interconnected the gospel and life on earth are. “Our salvation is our own, but exaltation can only happen with the help of others. It’s a testament to how intimately Christ knows and cares for us by providing unlimited blessings and how one of the biggest blessings He gives us is each other.”
Pedersen added, “Being surrounded by Christlike people is one of the biggest strengths of my ever-growing testimony. It’s what has pulled me through some of the darkest times and has been one of my biggest strengths. I’m thankful for this tradition my family has to remind us of our infinite worth and Christ’s abundant, intimate love.”
