By Darya Farsinejad
Student Speakers from event. From Right to Left: Shaquita Searcy, Andrew Parrish, Kyle Edwards, Paula Diaz, Nicolas Pinones-Haltenhoff, Shaobo Young.
Thanksgiving is a time for friends and family to be grateful for what they have. This holiday has us looking forward to a week off from school, Black Friday and a big turkey. But do other countries have Thanksgiving? What do they celebrate?
The annual “Thanksgiving Around the World” took place in Taylor Center 221 on Nov. 6: the event showcased and discussed the different cultures that celebrate this holiday. Several student speakers explained a variety of traditions: Korean, Chilean, Chinese, Spanish, as well as less-known American customs.
Audience waiting for their table to be called to go get food.
Paula Diaz told the room about the culture in Chile, and Thanksgiving is celebrated there on Sept. 18 with food and family. “Even if we are from different cultures or different languages we all are similar in certain ways,” Diaz said.
In Korea, there is a three-day celebration. It begins on the eighth month and 15th day of the lunar calendar. This past year it started on Sept. 8. “In a way the eating and gathering part is similar to Thanksgiving,” Andrew Parrish said as he talked about Korean culture.
“Everybody gives thanks. Every culture around the world has a Thanksgiving event. They just don’t call it Thanksgiving,” said Timothy Spraggins, Chief Diversity Officer, “They express their gratitude for family, community, and abundance of crops and food in their cultural expressions, cultural adornment and their cultural preparation.”
After all the speakers’ testimonies, attendees ate a variety of food. Along with learning about different cultures, they also got to enjoy tasting what other countries had to offer. Bringing people together is what Thanksgiving is about, and this event helped bring different cultures together to celebrate as one.
Photo Courtesy of Darya Farsinejad
Contact the writer: dfarsine@aum.edu
