While international students make plans to celebrate Christmas stateside, they recall their important family traditions
There are few times more important to Ouachita students than Christmas. Everywhere you look, you’re reminded of the season, from the garland in the student center to the trees that seem to multiply and end up in every residence hall and academic building around campus. Beyond that, it’s a reprieve from the monotony of college, and many Ouachitonians relish their time with family and away from class.
For some students, however, they cannot go home, because they are part of Ouachita’s international community. Three such students are Tristan Benzon, a junior psychology and history major from Harare, Zimbabwe; Nonsi Nxumalo, a junior from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe majoring in finance and management; and Gail Lange-Smith, a junior dietetics and nutrition major also from Harare.
Due to the extreme distance from his home in Zimbabwe, Tristan explained that he plans to travel with Flippen-Perrin Resident Director Jake Kornegay.
For Tristan, Christmas has always been a family affair, and the past few have been very different for him. He said that his family “is always busy except around Christmas there [Zimbabwe], so it’s always a great bonding time.”
Nonsi is excited to be celebrating the season with friends, echoing Tristan’s feelings toward the meaning of the season.
“For me, Christmas is a special time for family, we usually try to get the family together and go on holiday or spend time at home playing games and bonding,” Nonsi said.
As for Gail, she will spend time with friends stateside. She provided details for her family traditions as well.
“Usually on Christmas day I go to church with my family… and then we go to my grandmother’s house for lunch where we eat ham and roast potatoes, vegetables and all sorts of delicious foods,” Gail said.
While this is enough to get anyone’s belly thinking maybe it has room for one more slice of ham, Gail explained her family’s dessert traditions.
“We always have a warm fruit cake for dessert…this pairs perfectly with a glass of grape juice and plain vanilla ice cream,” Gail said.
Both Tristan and Gail spoke about what normally goes on in Zimbabwe during the Christmas season, and it is nothing short of jarring to North American ears.
Tristan reminisced on “hearing the African thunderstorms every Christmas” and how the holiday falls in the middle of Zimbabwe’s rainy season. In North America, the traditional, sentimental weather appropriate for Christmastime is snowy and cold, so to even think of weather patterns that one could go out in and enjoy (without mittens and a sled) is shocking.
Gail even pushed the envelope further.
“After our meal, we usually take a nap and go swimming in the afternoon,” Gail said.
Taking a holiday nap really ought to get some consideration for an American pastime, but going for a swim, unless it is of the polar plunge variety, would be nothing like the North American way of Christmas-ing.
While all three will not be spending the Christmas season as they have in their pasts, all three are still thankful for the meaning of the season. Tristan loves Christmas here, thanks to the differences in weather patterns between here and Zimbabwe.
“The snow, which I’ve only experienced twice, Christmas lights, which Americans go all out on, and food, make it a great time no matter where I am,” Tristan said.
Nonsi agrees with Tristan.
“It is a great time to show love to one another and celebrate the birth of Jesus,” Nonsi said.
Gail loves the way her family starts off Christmas day, setting the tone and reminding her family the reason for the season.
All three students here have spent holidays stateside before, and agree it is worth it for the quality, Christ-centered education Ouachita offers them. It is important to note that with the diversity of Ouachita’s campus, these three are not the only ones not celebrating the holiday in a traditional way. Many students will go to friends’ houses or spend their holidays exploring some of America’s major cities, with the help of the Grant Center and the International Club. While these students may not be able to be home for the holidays, they will be able to experience a Christmas unlike one they have seen before, one they will not likely forget.
By Chris DiGiovanni, staff writer
