As a college student, December is a month to be dreaded. With chilly mornings to welcome students and final exams right around the corner, the first few weeks of this month are far from enjoyable. Yet, as this semester comes to an end, the season of hot chocolate also begins. For the December issue’s Voice on Campus, The Granite Tower (GT) asked four Korea University (KU) students to share what it is like to spend December in their home countries. Let this article be a reminder to our readers of the wonderful holidays that await those who hang in there a little longer and get through this last stretch.

Question: How do you celebrate the December holidays in your country? Are there any cultural or family traditions that come up during this month?

Alina Moradei ('20, International Studies) from Italy

To celebrate the winter holidays, one thing is gathering with our extended family and having some snacks such as cookies or finger bites and playing board games. One popular game for Christmas and New Year’s Day is bingo. On Christmas people usually go to their grandparents’ house to have lunch made by their grandmas. In my case, I am Jewish, so I celebrate Channukkà instead. As it lasts eight days, we would usually celebrate once with friends and once with our extended family. We gather in the late afternoon, light the menorah, sing some Channukkà songs, and exchange presents. In the evenings, I would just spend it with my sisters and parents and exchange gifts.

Polina Zurjari-Ossipova (‘22, International Studies) from Estonia

While most ethnic Estonians celebrate a Western-style Christmas on December 24, a lot of Russian speakers (the largest minority group in my country) celebrate Christmas in January because the Russian Orthodox church follows the Julian calendar. Nevertheless, only December 24 and 25 are official public holidays. Those are perhaps the only days of the year when you can see churches crowded with Estonians, even though most are atheists. It’s simply a way of giving to the needy and of spending time with your family — going to a church with your family, making donations, and listening to choirs sing Christmas hymns. Most public schools even have mandatory concerts at churches the week before Christmas.

Miriana Galdos (Exchange student) from Peru

In Peru, Christmas is a big deal; most families put up their Christmas decorations early in December if not in November. In the city of Ayacucho, they make a colorful and beautiful nativity called retablo, which is a model representing the birth of Jesus. In my house, we make sure to put up the nativity with baby Jesus covered until Christmas, as that is when he was born. Christmas dinners usually include a roast turkey, pilaf rice, and various salads. Dinner is served late at night and then at midnight, as soon as it is December 25, we open the presents. One peculiar thing is that even though it’s summer during December, we still drink hot chocolate, which is paired with Peruvian panettone. Christmas is a lovely family time, and I am going to miss spending it with my family this year, but I’ll make sure to send them presents.

Egshiglen Nyamdeleg (‘21, Psychology) from Mongolia

In Mongolia, many people don’t differentiate Christmas from New Year’s Eve, so they mash them together. But we still celebrate Christmas, just not on December 25. Starting as early as November, cities are filled with decorations, lights, and the color red. We give New Year presents, but only to children as that is the unwritten rule. Something also worth mentioning is that our version of Santa Claus, called Uvliin Uvuu, is actually dressed in blue. On December 31, people usually spend it with their families and have dinner, where champagne and cake are a must. As midnight approaches, we watch the president’s message on TV and welcome the new year with the sounds of fireworks outside