Peek into the Holidays traditions: how do our students celebrate?
The Holidays are coming! It is time to slow down and enjoy a well-deserved rest. But the best part of these days is the time spent with our families and friends with good food, chilling and enjoying each other´s company.
This is certainly true when it comes to our students! We asked them how they celebrate Christmas and the results paint a clear picture. Family is the most important (see the picture below)!
Source: LIGS University Holidays Survey
However, some of our students like to travel, mainly to exotic places as well! And almost 10 % of them will chill out at the beach and get some tan! Enjoy!
Also, we should not forget that not everyone in the world celebrates Christmas since it is a Christian holiday.
What about other religions?
Muslims do not celebrate Christmas but they have two so-called Eids (meaning ´feast‘ or ´festival‘) instead. Eid al-Fitr is a celebration at the end of Ramadan and Eid-al-Adha is connected with the pilgrimage to Mecca. These are days of celebration and a good time with the family and loved ones.
Jews also do not celebrate Christmas, they have Channukah (also in December) instead. Chanukkah celebrates two things: a miracle in which one day’s worth of oil burned for eight days, and the victory of the Jewish freedom fighters over the Syrian-Greek forces that tried to wipe out Judaism in the second century B.C.E.
Buddhists do celebrate Christmas. However, they have their own important holiday – Bodhi Day – on the 8th of December to remember the day Buddha reached enlightenment.
Hindus do celebrate a religious holiday in December called Pancha Ganapati, which is a five-day holiday that honors Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed lord of culture and new beginnings. The celebration begins on Dec. 21 and includes outings, picnics, feasts, and gift-giving.
And how about the Christmas traditions…?
The period before Christmas is called Advent. But what is it? The word comes from Latin and means „coming“. So it is a preparation for the birth and coming of Christ. But many kids care most about Advent Calendars. Where did they come from? The tradition dates to the mid-19th century when German Protestants made chalk marks on doors or lit candles to count the days leading up to Christmas. First printed advent calendars also came to light in Germany in the early 1900s.
We can be grateful to Germans for one more thing. And without it – a Christmas would not be Christmas! Although it has pagan origins, the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. And it is widely believed that it was Martin Luther who first added lighted candles to a tree.
From the end to the new beginning
You will barely have the time to digest all the food from the table and here we go again! The New Year´s celebrations are traditionally linked to wild celebrations, midnight kisses, fireworks, eating New Year´s food, but also praying and going to church. How will our students celebrate it? Most of them will continue spending time with friends and family (see the picture below). Enjoy!
Source: LIGS University Holidays Survey
And since the year ends, it is a tradition to set goals for the next year. Most of our students (see graph below) set at least one New Year´s resolution. And a lot of them (43,9 %) is about a successful studying at LIGS! We are proud to be one of the priorities for our students!
Source: LIGS University Holidays Survey
Did you know that ancient Babylonians, somewhat 4,000 years ago, were the first ones to set a new year´s resolution and to throw a party? Though for them the year began not in January but in March when the crops were planted.
We thank all the students who shared their traditions with us and we wish all of you a quiet, happy time, spend just the way you like it!