The end of the year is a time of celebration for people all over the world. Friends and family gather as a community, sharing diverse traditions and culture. The GH Falcon created a list of some long-established holiday traditions, myths and foods from around the world in commemoration of the festive spirit.
Dōngzhi, which translates to ‘Winter’s Arrival,” is China’s celebration of the winter solstice. Although often overshadowed by the well-known Lunar New Year, Dōngzhi is a long celebrated holiday in Chinese culture. It is typically when the night is longest and the day is shortest. This day became a recognized traditional festival during the Han Dynasty, and falls on varying dates between Dec. 21-23. During Dōngzhi, families worship their ancestors and protective gods and pay tributes for health, well-being and a prosperous new year. Family gatherings wouldn’t be complete without traditional foods such as dumplings and tang yuan, a glutinous rice ball.
Originating in England, this traditional pudding is a dark, brandy-soaked delight that dates back centuries. The very first version of this treat can be traced to the fourteenth century, when the British made porridge called “frumenty,” containing beef, mutton, raisins, wines, currants and spices. The dish tended to be more soup-like, often enjoyed around Christmas. By the end of the fourteenth century, frumenty went through several names and changes, eventually becoming plum pudding or Christmas pudding. Baking silver coins into the desert is a common tradition, and whoever finds the coin will supposedly have good luck.
Hmong New Year is an annual celebration gathering communities to celebrate Hmong culture and family company. Many participants of Hmong New Year take pictures in cultural attire as there are beauty pageants filled with singing and dancing. One popular tradition is a ball toss between girls and boys as a way to mingle and socialize with each other. Typically the boy tosses the ball to the girl, signifying interest in getting to know one another. Some traditional foods enjoyed during this time include Hmong sausage, kopiak, a chicken noodle soup, and kapoon, a type of red curry noodle soup. Unlike most Asian New Years, Hmong New Year is celebrated between Nov. 21-23.
Whether they are called Weihnachtsmarkt, Christkindlmarkt or Adventmarkt, Austrian Christmas markets are extremely popular among locals and tourists alike. These markets includes various booths and shops run by small family businesses, each selling unique items for browsing customers. Local Sophia Sattler, recalls her experience attending Weihnachtsmarkt. “My favorite memory is when my primary school would annually go to the Christmas market. We would all [receive] pocket money from our parents, then go around the stands and buy gifts for our family and lots of candy gifts for ourselves.” The most notable part of Christkindlmarkt is the food sold throughout the day. Visitors roaming the stands love delicious eateries like palatschinken (similar to crepes), maroni (roasted chestnuts), kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) and other small snacks.
Shab-e Yalda, also known as Yalda Night, is an ancient traditional festival that takes place on winter solstice night, which is the darkest and longest night of the year. This tradition dates as far back as 502 B.C., celebrated mainly in Iranian culture, but also surrounding cultures in Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and the Iranian diaspora. Green Hope student Kurt Foroughi (‘25) celebrates Yalda night with their family by celebrating with the local Iranian community to participate in local events with traditional festivities. Quintessential activities of Yalda include the eating and drinking of traditional foods, sharing stories and reading poetry. Traditional foods include various fresh and dried fruit, as well as Iranian sweets. Pomegranates, persimmons and watermelons are among the most important fruits. Celebrators often read work from the popular poet Hafez, as his collection, “The Divān of Hafez,” is extremely common in Iranian homes. Foroughi shares, “[Yalda Night] provides a great opportunity to connect with friends and family, and [to] participate in ancient cultural tradition while putting a little warmth and brightness into the darkest night of the year.”
Regardless of culture and geography, the cold season is the perfect time for families to spend time together with their community.
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