The lights are going up and decorations are being placed around the quad because ’tis the season for all winter holidays at Carlmont.
At Carlmont High School, Winter Around the World, is a holiday event that represents many winter holidays from many different cultures.
On Dec. 10 in the quad at lunch, tables were set up for many of Carlmont’s culture clubs to represent how they celebrate during the winter.
“We’re having clubs come in during flex tomorrow, and we’re going to help them get their tables up, and then they’ll put whatever materials they’re using to sell food or whatever else they’re providing,” said Keya Arora, an Associated Student Body (ASB) member in the Clubs and Culture Commission.
ASB’s Clubs and Culture Commission came up with this idea by noticing the cultures in their commission.
“We are a little commission, we all come from really different backgrounds, so we just noticed that we are all celebrating different things around this time of year, so [we thought], ‘Surely there are more kids in this boat, so we should do something to culturally celebrate and highlight those holidays in addition to Christmas,'” said Danielle Courtney, a senior in ASB’s Clubs and Culture Commission.
Some of the clubs that presented their holidays sold food and had posters educating students about what they did during the winter holiday. The Latinos Unidos x Black Student Union (BSU) presented two holidays celebrated during the winter.
“Our club presented information about Kwanzaa and Dia de Los Reyes. Dia de Los Reyes is a Catholic holiday celebrated in many Latin countries to honor the Three Wise Men, who were said to have brought gifts for Jesus the night he was born. Kwanzaa was a holiday originally created to bring African American People together after the Watts riots in Long Beach during the first celebration of 1966,” said Mia Isabel Yoch, the president of the Latinos Unidos x BSU club.
Sharing other holidays celebrated during the winter was the primary goal of this event. Informing people of what different cultures do is very important to the diversity we have at Carlmont.
“I think people don’t really realize how many other holidays there are during this season. I think that sometimes people know what Diwali is, and people know what Hanukkah and Christmas are, but there’s a lot of other holidays that people just have no idea about, and that’s not their fault. They’re not exposed to it. So I think [exposure] is important because then you can be appreciative and celebratory of the kinds of holidays your friends may celebrate… It’s just good for everyone as a community,” Arora said.
Students who aren’t in culture clubs also recognize the importance of learning about different holidays.
“Learning about other cultures’ holidays is important because you learn new things and you gain a better understanding regarding other cultures,” said Zhanna Paredes, a sophomore.
The Clubs and Culture Commission have more exciting events coming up in February. Clubs will be able to share more of their traditions and culture.
“I think it is extremely important to teach others about holidays in different cultures. Being able to better understand the traditions of others can give you insight into the experience other people have in their lives. Listening to other people discuss their traditions is a beautiful thing,” Yoch said.
