Life End of year brings festivities Affinity group leaders share diverse holiday celebrations

By Alexa Muñoz | Staff Writer

Amidst the holiday season, students walk in a winter wonderland of tests and quizzes. Thankfully, the diverse student body can commemorate end-of-year festivities to alleviate the stress of these assignments.

Diwali

Nina Dave, co-president of the South Asian Student Association, kickstarted the holiday season by celebrating Diwali on Oct. 24 this year. Hindus observe Diwali on the 15th day of the month of Kartik in the lunar-solar calendar, which falls yearly between the Western months of October and November.

For Hindus, the holiday honors Lord Rama and his eventual defeat of the evil demon Ravana. Typically, Dave and her family spend time together, eat lots of delicious food and light fireworks and sparklers, as Diwali is also known as the “festival of lights.”

“Diwali is a time to connect with my Indian and Hindu side, and it’s also a holiday to spend time with family and make meaningful memories,” Dave said.

For Isabel Bhasin, one of the two senior presidents of the Multi Racial/ Ethnic Affinity Group, the holiday season is an opportunity for her to embrace her family’s cultural blend. Yearly, her family lights candles to observe Diwali between October and November and goes sledding in Chicago on Christmas day.

“I really enjoy being able to celebrate holidays from multiple cultures,” Bhasin said. “Celebrating both Diwali and Christmas during the holiday season gives me a chance to reconnect with both sides of my family and cultures.”

El Día de los Muertos

Seniors Emma Estrada and Viviana Armendariz, president and vice president of the Latin Hispanic Student Union, begin their season of festivities with the traditional Mexican holiday “el Día de los Muertos” (the Day of the Dead) on Nov. 1. They set up an “ofrenda,” which is an altar complete with elemental offerings of water, wind, earth and fire. Relatives use ofrendas to guide and welcome family members who have passed away, and the altar serves as a cultural reminder of an eternal life, standing in remembrance of the everlasting love and presence of the departed.

Hanukkah

President of Jewish Student Union, senior Ava Stern, celebrates Hanukkah from Dec. 18 to Dec. 26 this year, but the dates for this eight-night-long festival of lights vary based on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar.

At this time, Ava and her family eat oily foods like fried donuts or potato pancakes called latkes. Oily foods are symbolic of the oil that kept the Temple of Jerusalem’s menorah burning for eight days in 164 BCE. What was consider one day’s worth of oil kept the menorah miraculously burning for eight days, which allowed the beseiged Jews to triumph over the tyrannical king of Damascus.

“To me, it represents coming together as a family and honoring our cultural tradition,” Stern said.

Eid al-Fitr

Sophomores K Irfan and Faiha Khurram, co-presidents of the Muslim Student Association, celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. While this year’s Eid al-Fitr was celebrated in May, the holiday’s dates vary because Muslims use the lunar calendar, and, occasionally, the holiday will fall during the winter holiday season.

“Growing up in America, you just get used to sometimes not celebrating a holiday at this time,” Irfan said.

Like And Comment

By Caroline Bush | Arts & Life Editor

With the holiday season right around the corner, restaurants, coffee shops and brands are beginning to roll out festive beverages to get customers in the spirit.

Sprite Cranberry

Every year around Christmas time, Sprite puts a spin on the classic soda with a limited edition version: Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry – more widely known as Sprite Cranberry. The drink offers a festive twist that combines the traditional lemon-lime flavor with the more unconventional taste of spiced cranberry.

When I tried the drink, it didn’t immediately scream “Christmas” to me but rather was just a more sweetened version of the typical Sprite. I do not consider myself a big Sprite fan, but I did expect more from this drink than just a sweet mix of artificial flavors.

Next time I want something to quench my thirst during the “thirstiest time of the year,” I will probably grab a different soda instead of the overrated Sprite Cranberry.

Peppermint Milkshake

To me, Chick-fil-A always does dessert well, and the seasonal Peppermint Milkshake certainly did not disappoint. The shake combines the classic vanilla base with a smooth peppermint flavor and the perfect addition of chocolate chips to tie it all together.

From the first sip, the shake immediately transported me to the holiday season. I felt like the milkshake prompted me to finally begin putting up my Christmas decorations now that I was in the festive spirit.

The only complaint about this drink is the fact that I was left shivering once I finished, on which I blame the 40 degree weather. I plan to enjoy my next peppermint milkshake bundled up by the fire with blankets and the heater on.

Toasted White Chocolate Mocha

I’m a big iced coffee fan, so every time Starbucks releases a new menu of items, I run to my nearest location to grab whatever sounds the most enticing to me. This year, the iced Toasted White Chocolate Mocha caught my eye immediately – and for good reason.

The holiday sprinkles and whipped cream were questionable at first, but I loved the added sweetness that was not too overpowering. This drink is perfect for those who love a little flavor but don’t want to lose the taste of coffee. While I wouldn’t pick this drink as my go-to for a holiday spark, I love having a new option to order when I am picking up my morning coffee.