By Judy Xie ‘23
One of the most wonderful aspects of the St. Mark’s community is our diversity, as we have members from a great range of backgrounds and cultures. The 364 individuals that make up our student body hail from 19 states and 15 countries. Each student brings a unique perspective to campus life, that has been shaped by their family values, life experiences, and cultural identities. During this past holiday season, the variety of traditions that were practiced within students’ families reflect our school’s diversity.
I have celebrated Christmas with my family for as long as I can remember. Despite my parents’ status as Chinese immigrants and our non-religiousness, we never fail to set up a Christmas tree and spend time exchanging gifts as a family. We treat the holiday as an opportunity to spend quality time with one another and make happy memories. This past year, my older sister Josie, along with her boyfriend, traveled from their home in Manhattan to come and celebrate Christmas with us. On Christmas Eve, we ate a filling and delicious dinner of various Chinese dishes cooked by my mom, such as a roasted duck. The next morning we had a breakfast of homemade Chinese bao (steamed buns) before we gathered by the tree to open our gifts and take pictures as a family. I enjoy Christmas immensely every year and was especially happy to spend time with my sister this year after not seeing her for a while due to the ongoing pandemic. Holidays in my family are always joyous occasions that I will forever cherish the memories of.
Throughout the three-week-long winter break, I had the opportunity to speak with some of my fellow St. Markers about their family traditions around the holidays. Mandy Hui ‘23 shared that Christmas isn’t extremely culturally significant to her family in Hong Kong, but they still engage in some semblance of celebration. Each year, Mandy goes to a local restaurant with her family and then watches the annual fireworks display that the city puts on. Unfortunately, they were cancelled this year and many restaurants were also closed. Instead, Mandy’s family had a hot pot dinner at home with a wide assortment of foods such as cabbage dumplings, meats, and noodles.
Dani Ortiz ‘21 and her family have a tradition where they open one gift on Christmas Eve every year, which is always a board game. Her favorite game is called Balderdash, which is also known as “Fictionary”. To play, one player asks a question and everyone else writes down an incorrect, but believable answer. The first player reads aloud all of the answers along with the real one, and the rest of the players guess which answer is correct. Dani and her family play the newly opened boardgame together for the rest of the night and then wake up to make a pancake breakfast as a family on Christmas morning before they open the rest of their presents.
Abby Griffin ‘22 said that Christmas is one of her favorite holidays since it’s a pretty big deal in her family. She shared that her great aunt usually hosts the family for the holidays and cooks plenty of delicious Armenian dishes, including this pineapple stuffing, which she raved about. Sadly, they were unable to make the trip this year in efforts to stay safe amid the pandemic. Another one of Abby’s favorite Christmas traditions is decorating her tree with her family every year. Many of the ornaments they use hold significant sentimental value to her which makes the activity all the more special.
Sophie Ledonio ‘23 and her family celebrate Noche Buena, which is a Filipino holiday. For Filipinos, Noche Buena holds immense cultural and religious significance. The holiday is celebrated the night before Christmas with a huge feast, that is traditionally eaten after hearing the midnight mass to welcome Christmas Day. In Sophie’s family, they get a huge ham, which is the traditional meat eaten during Noche Buena, and eat a filipino bread biscuit called “pan de sal”. Once midnight hits, they all gather together to open presents.
I really enjoyed interviewing my peers and learning about the fun traditions their families have during the holiday season. Each tradition was special and unique, yet they showcase only a small sliver of the rich cultural diversity of St. Mark’s students.
