NOT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Foreign students share traditions
Though this will be his third Christmas in Windsor, Weilin Sun is still getting the hang of Canadian holiday traditions.
Sun excitedly fulfilled one of his Christmas wishes this year to have a photo taken with Santa to send home to his parents in China.
“I didn’t say anything to him,” said Sun, an international student in Grade 11 at Assumption Secondary School. “Was I supposed to? I’ll have to go back then and tell him what I want.”
For the more than 400 international students studying in Windsor high schools this fall, Christmas is part of their educational experience.
Most students won’t be going home for Christmas and regardless of their faith, they’re embracing the pumped-up enthusiasm for the holidays Canadians display.
“I’m from an Islamic background and we don’t celebrate Christmas in China, but since I’ve come here to study I really like Christmas,” said Dini Aiyireti, whose family is of Uyghur background and lives close to the Russia-Mongolia border. “I really love the joyful atmosphere. How it brings families together. I really like the decorations and lights.”
For Spanish students Carmen Villaverde and Ismael Alonso the buildup to Christmas has been fascinating.
Though Spain is a largely Catholic country, the holiday celebrations are much more low key.
“In Spain, we put up a tree inside, but no lights outside,” said Villaverde, who helped her host family decorate inside and out. “Here, Christmas is much bigger — the presents, lights and decorations. Last week, I was in the Santa Claus parade. I’m trying to celebrate it as much as I can.”
Alonso was surprised to see Christmas decorations popping up just after Halloween. “People start celebrating Christmas really early here,” said Alonso, a Grade 11 student at Sandwich. “You really express your culture out to the world.”
Both Villaverde and Alonso are importing some Spanish holiday traditions to share with their host families. One popular tradition they plan to share is the eating of 12 grapes, one at a time, in the 12 seconds counting down to midnight on New Year’s Eve.
“What I’m going to miss, besides my family, is the big dinner,” said Alonso, a Grade 11 student at Sandwich. “We have lobster and a lot of seafood. We’d all go to my grandmother’s place. I would eat fish three times a week back home. I miss that fresh seafood.”
Regardless of cultural background, food is a common language when it comes to holidays.
Aiyireti is staying with her aunt and uncle in LaSalle and their Christmas dinner table is going to be a melting pot of cuisines.
“They’ve been here 16 or 17 years and they’ve adopted a lot of Canadian traditions,” said Aiyireti, a Grade 12 student at Sandwich Secondary School. “My aunt is a great cook and she’ll make a big meal. She’s going to have some Chinese, Uyghur and Canadian dishes for all their friends that come over.”
Not surprisingly, the other aspect of Canadian holiday tradition that translates well is shopping.
“In China, the part of Christmas we’ve adopted is shopping,” Sun said. “It’s like Black Friday or Boxing Day.”
Sun added he loves the little curious customs of hanging stockings and Advent calendars. “My host family gave me an Advent calendar and I love there’s a little surprise waiting for me each day,” Sun said.
“I also have a Christmas stocking I feel every day to see if there’s something new in there even though I know I’m not supposed to.”
Sun said one tradition he’ll bring home to China is the Christmas tree. “I’ll definitely be asking my parents to get one,” Sun said.
“My host family, every ornament on their tree has a story. Why you got that ornament and when. It’s a good memory for the rest of your life.”
Villaverde intends to make her parents’ home the easiest to find in her hometown of Santiago, Spain, when she returns to her native country. “I’m going to put lights all over the outside of the house,” Villaverde said.
The four students said their host families are immersing them in their holiday traditions and filling their days with activities in hopes of minimalizing any feelings of loneliness.
Communication with family through social media has been an enormous help in keeping the homesick blues away, but the students admit there can be no substitute for physically being there with loved ones.
Even little brothers who you once were so eager to escape from.
“My brother is 10 and I thought, ‘Great, peace and quiet when I get away,’ ” Aiyireti said.
“Then he recently told me he found one of my pens and he was going to keep it to remember me and study like me so he could go abroad to school in Canada too. That was so touching.
“I feel like he’s growing up and I’m not there. I’ll miss my family, but especially him.”