Traditions During the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
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7KH7RZHU 9DQJXDUG traditions During the most wonderful time of the year graphic: Caroline Tan celebrating an aussie christmas Michelle Girouard ’21 In the “Land Down Under,” the beginning of the by and could cost as much as $80. Cutting down holiday season entails a long, irritating ride to the Christmas trees was frowned upon, so my dad spent beach. On the radio, even news of raging wildfires hours searching for a fake one that wasn’t bright pink across the country are a welcome break from the or resembling a rainbow glitter explosion. Our tradition horrendous lyygrics of “Aussie Jinglg e Bells,” which of making gingerbread houses quite literally collapsed describe Santa (referred to as “Swaggie”) dodging from the humidity, and the concept of sledding, making kangaroos as he drives to a barbecue with a dog named hot chocolate, or sitting by the fireplace was irrelevant. “Kelpie” riding shotgun. In the back seat, my brother However, rather than despairing over our inability rehearses his two lines in the church’s nativity play, to celebrate Christmas as we did in New Jersey, my where he plays the crucial role of “wombat number family decided to celebrate the holidays in the same 3,” while my sisters complain loudly about way we would commemorate the fourth the heat. When we finally arrive at the of July, with barbecues, swimming, and beach, my mom distributes bucket hats other outdoor activities, which allowed and desperately sprays us with an excessive us retain a bit of our American culture amount of SPF 70 sunscreen, all in vain — in our new home. within the hour, the scorching sun will have Despite the challenges that celebrating burned us to a crisp. overseas imposed, I found that adapting December 25 in Australia is by no means to Christmas in Australia actually a “white christmas.” Along the endless altered my perception of what the stretches of beach, children build sand holidays represented. Commercialism men and dress them with seaweed scarves graphic: Elise Ko-Davis and materialism isn’t as prominent in and sunglasses. Teens will walk through Australia as it is in the United States with the streets chucking rugby balls, wearing nothing Black Friday and holiday sales. Also, family members but swimsuits. Along Pacific Highway, thousands traveling across the world from America just to see us of high school seniors uphold the annual tradition on Christmas Day greatly emphasized the importance of dressing up as Santa Claus and weaving through of spending time with loved ones during the holidays. traffic on scooters. With the holiday season came the opportunity for me When my family first arrived in Sydney over 11 years to spend quality time with aunts, uncles, grandparents, ago, we anticipated a culture shock. I was especially and family friends that I had only seen through Skype upset by the absence of bagels and abhorrent taste calls. Further, embracing the traditions of other of vegemite, and for weeks, my mom refused to drive cultures also allowed me to appreciate those of my own us to school for fear of accidentally drifting to the while being more accepting of others. Celebrations wrong side of the road. Many distinctions in holiday in Australia were much less elaborate, so I was proud festivities were as a result of the seasons in Australia to be “that American family” that lit up every square being opposite to those of the northern hemisphere. inch of their house on December 1, yet I also enjoyed November no longer consisted of pumpkin picking, many Australian traditions such as baking meat pies warm drinks, and autumn leaves, but rather spring and watching the Boxing Day test cricket match with flowers and stress regarding end-of-year exams. friends every December 26. Consequently, by the time December rolled around, It doesn’t matter whether one celebrates the tunes such as “Baby It’s Cold Outside” didn’t exactly holidays in the blazing heat of the Outback or while compliment the 100-degree weather. shoveling snow from a driveway. The holidays are not My family’s first Christmas in Australia was especially defined by an ability to maintain unique traditions, frustrating. Christmas turkeys were hard to come but rather the valuable time spent with loved ones. 'HFHPEHU 9DQJXDUG The history of tradition interview by: Chiara Goldenstern An interview with PHS history teacher Katie Dineen Holiday Why do you think it’s important for American students to learn What are some of the most interesting traditions you’ve learned about other countries around the world and their traditions? about during your job as a World History teacher? Well, a lot of our traditions are derived from [other countries]. I There is one that is really cool to me because I love Mexican food. think it’s cool to understand [that] what we do today didn’t just In the Aztec empire tamales [are] made from corn meal and meat Traditions happen within even European wrapped inside of a corn society. It formed centuries prior husk so that it’s very in all other parts of the world. So portable. They were just contextualizing a little where actually first developed those traditions come from and as part of the sun how the world became what it is sacrificial ceremony, I think is important. where people from all A Door to Our Past throughout the empire Why do you think people and all the city states Anisha Iyer ’20 sometimes aren’t respectful of under the Aztec king other people’s traditions? would come to the When I was in kindergarten, two of my friends and I told our parents I think people are afraid of what’s capital, make sacrifices that we wanted to make a gingerbread house. Our parents bought different. And traditions are for the sun god, and go the supplies, decided on a time, and we spent the night building. very emotional; like, traditions home with buckets of The next year, my friends and I decided we wanted to do the same you celebrate within your family tamales, [which were] thing, but with more activities. We decided to incorporate watching are usually very important to photo illustration: Anya Sachdev and Anna Lieb these little portable Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, making Christmas- you because a lot of your memories are foods. It’s interesting themed treats like cookies for Santa, and tracking Santa on the Santa formed around those traditions. So anything because they’re still a really popular cuisine Tracker App. Little did we know that our casual, spur-of-the-moment that’s different from what you’ve accepted throughout Mexico and the United States Christmas party would turn into an annual Christmas-Eve tradition; as normal can seem threatening to the today. It’s interesting how utility plays into one that we will keep for the years to come. tradition. For instance, my family is from the development of tradition ... We still have As time has passed, our tradition has changed. Every year, we western New York. And in western New favors and things like that in celebrations that we have tailor our party to what currently interests us. Our night of tracking York, most people celebrate Christmas, and a today, [which is] neat. Santa has changed to a night of watching movies. Our tradition lot of family memories are formed around the of baking treats for Santa has turned into a baking competition. celebration of Christmas. But if one person were Do you think PHS is accepting of many traditions? More people have joined our traditional Christmas Eve party. We to be brought out of that community, or had I think students here are very open to people all over the have shared it with our younger siblings. We gave them the someone else come into that community, world. I think amongst the student population there is a lot Santa Tracker. We watched the same excitement we once it might devalue their tradition in their own of acceptance. I think that there is definitely — amongst had light up their faces. As our younger siblings have joined head. They may feel as though what they had teachers and administration, like the board — an initiative our gingerbread house teams to participate in our bake-offs, isn’t as special because they’re seeing [that] to accept and an understanding that everything should the focus has shifted from having our own fun to entertaining it’s just one piece of a huge cultural puzzle, be accepted, but I think we’re missing a little bit of the the younger generation. and there’s an insecurity associated with that. translation to our curriculum. Different people need to be Traditions are fun ways to connect with the past I think insecurity and fear of what’s different represented in our social studies and English classes especially. and look forward to something in the future. I always really plays into the rejection of traditions that are [It’s important to make] sure that people see their own cultures, found it enjoyable participating in something that not as familiar. traditions, histories in what they’re learning in school. We fall began with me and will continue after me, but it took under New Jersey State curriculum, and we fall under College me a while to truly understand the beauty of tradition. What is dangerous about thinking your traditions Board for all of our AP classes. And those are very Eurocentric. In Though our traditions will evolve with the times, the act are better than others, or “the right ones”? New Jersey’s case, very American-centric, which is only a 200-year of participating in them can serve as a source of consistency You miss out on an appreciation for so many history.