With December comes snowy weather, shorter days and most importantly the holiday season. And with so many different cultures from around the world bringing their holiday traditions to Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), there is reason to celebrate. We spoke to several FCLC students who shared their holiday traditions and memories.

AISHA BLAKE, FCLC ’13

OBSERVER: To the best of your knowledge, what is Kwanzaa (Dec. 26 – Jan. 1)?

For me, Kwanzaa is a celebration of the strength of a community and the wealth of a culture. It’s a time to reflect and be thankful for what we have. It’s also a time to enjoy the company of family and friends.

OBSERVER: What traditions do you or your family have to celebrate the holiday?

My family’s observance of Kwanzaa is pretty simple, but we cover all of the basics. Everything takes place on and around the dining room table. Every night, we take turns lighting the candles. They are held in the kinara and rest on top of a mat called the mkeka. We  also reflect on the day’s principle.

On the table, we display the mazao (vegetables representing a harvest, like a cornucopia), muhindi (ears of corn, one for each child in the family) and the kikombe cha umoja (a unity cup). We  also hang our bendera and nguzo saba on the wall throughout the seven days. The bendera is a black, red and green flag representing black skin, struggle and hope for the future. The nguzo saba is a list of the seven principles and their meanings. Both of them were made by my aunt.

On the last day, my sisters and I each receive a gift, usually a book.

OBSERVER: Do you have a particular holiday memory that stands out?

The first time we had people over for Kwanzaa sticks out for me. That particular instance sticks out to me because people have a lot of misconceptions about what Kwanzaa is. I’ve gotten a lot of “fake holiday” comments, etc. That day, and the times we’d had people over to celebrate since, made it seem like we were going in the right direction. It’s really not just for African-Americans, at least not the way we celebrate it. Other people are welcome to celebrate because the principles at the heart of the holiday are universal.

GABRIELLA VAROBEY, FCLC ’11

OBSERVER: To the best of your knowledge, what is Hannukah (Dec. 1- Dec. 9)?

I’m not exactly sure what the holiday represents, but I think it has something to do with the Temple being destroyed and then rebuilt. At the time, oil was used to light a candle and even though it was only supposed to last one day, it lasted for eight. Hence the eight days we celebrate Hannukah!

OBSERVER: What traditions do you or your family have to celebrate the holiday?

We light the menorah each night and my dad makes latkes. They are so delicious, especially with some sour cream on them… perfection. Am I forgetting something? Oh, yes! Gifts!

OBSERVER: Do you have a particular holiday memory that stands out?

I mean, every Hannukah entails the same routine each year. So no particular memory stands out really; they’re all equally memorable.

SOGAND AFKARI, FCLC ’12

OBSERVER: To the best of your knowledge, what is Yalda (Dec. 21) ?

I was raised to believe in Zoroastrianism.Yalda is a holiday from pre-Islamic Persia that celebrates Winter Solstice. While this celebrates the first day of Winter, our new years (Nowruz) celebrates the first day of Spring.

OBSERVER: What traditions do you or your family have to celebrate the holiday?

Every year in Conn., where I’m from, the Iranian community hosts a big party at a nice banquet hall for Yalda. At these parties there is a plentiful amount of social encounters with friends of friends, friends and family and dancing. The food isn’t up to par with our mothers’ cooking, but we blame it on the non-Iranian caterers.

OBSERVER: Do you have a particular holiday memory that stands out? 

Zoroastrians, in Layman’s terms, worship fire. One year they moved the banquet to a rather obscure venue and set up a small fire outside. A long line of us jumped over it.

KEVIN QUARATINO FCLC ’13

OBSERVER: To the best of your knowledge, what is Christmas (Dec. 25)?

For me, there is the whole Catholic explanation for it. It is also a time for family to come together and relax. There is no school, you have a long vacation so you can focus on family.

OBSERVER: What traditions do you or your family have to celebrate the holiday?

Christmas Eve we have dinner at my house. We leave all the gifts for Christmas morning. And on Christmas day we go to my grandma’s house for dinner. We all go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. And my mom always says that all the gifts are from Santa.

OBSERVER: Do you have a particular holiday memory that stands out?

I remember one Christmas my mom kept saying, “You shouldn’t be too upset if you don’t get a Playstation 2.” Then Christmas morning when all the visible gifts were gone, my mom brought out another gift and gave me the Playstation 2.