{"id":6433,"date":"2016-12-12T06:00:15","date_gmt":"2016-12-12T11:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.elfster.com\/?p=6433"},"modified":"2023-02-10T14:03:42","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T19:03:42","slug":"honoring-diverse-cultural-traditions-christmas-around-the-world-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/12\/honoring-diverse-cultural-traditions-christmas-around-the-world-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Honoring Diverse Cultural Traditions for a Christmas Around the World Party"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes, the best gift is simply being appreciated for who you are and where you come from. My alma mater, in the Bay Area, attracted a diverse student population\u2014the racial makeup of our student body was like a youthful United Nations. Come Christmas, there was no right or wrong way to celebrate, as long as we all came together in peace, friendship, and joy.<\/p>\n

My dormmates and I started a tradition of celebrating an eclectic Christmas together and, while each holiday was memorable, my sophomore year was a little extra special as a bunch of us got together to throw a \u201cChristmas Around the World\u201d party. We all came from different cultural backgrounds, so each of us chose a different party essential, from drinks to decor, to transform into a cultural monument to our heritage. The end result was a unique holiday I won\u2019t soon forget, and the feeling that I had finally recognized an invisible part of who I am.<\/p>\n

Scottish Plaids to Celebrate the Christmas Spirit<\/h4>\n

Decking the halls is my favorite part of Christmas, so I lucked out by getting to dress up our common room with Scottish-inspired decorations. Scots are known for a love of plaid\u2014each clan has their own tartan, a unique pattern that represents the family, much like a coat of arms.<\/p>\n

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Fun and festive d\u00e9cor inspired by Scotland | Image courtesy Etsy seller bananers4banners<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luckily for me, my family\u2019s tartan involves an intricate blend of green, red, and gold, which made it the perfect pattern for Christmas festivities. While I couldn\u2019t find my family\u2019s exact tartan pattern at the local fabric shop, I found a close match that would double as a lovely holiday accent\u2014and then I got to work on the decorations.<\/p>\n

I started by taking the four yards of fabric I\u2019d bought and cutting it lengthwise to create a 12-foot by one-foot runner for the buffet table. I then cut the remaining piece widthwise into as many two- and three-inch strips as I could get, about 55.<\/p>\n

Using 20 of the strips, I tied festive bows around everything in sight: chair backs, wall sconces, door knobs, a ladle handle, and so on. With the remaining ribbons, I created a long garland. I started by tying the fabric strips every six inches across a length of twine about 18-feet long so the plaid pieces would hang down like neckties. In between each strand of plaid, I tied spare gift-wrapping ribbons in matching colors like green, gold, and red. Using a few push pins, I hung the garland along the first wall party-goers would see when they walked into the common room. Though it took less than 30 minutes to make, my garland created a rustic, homey atmosphere that honored my Scottish heritage.<\/p>\n

As my fellow dormmates slipped in to add their own cultural offerings, everyone was delighted by the Christmas plaid banner. It was such a hit that when one of the party-goers brought her a Santa figurine to serve as a centerpiece for the buffet table, we secured a spare swatch of plaid around Santa\u2019s waist<\/a> to give him a faux kilt!<\/p>\n

South of the Border Meets the North Pole<\/h4>\n

Once I was done adding my Scottish flare, Arturo, whose family hails from Mexico, was ready to set up our main entertainment for the evening. While most people think of a pi\u00f1ata as a children\u2019s birthday party game, it\u2019s actually a traditional Christmas festivity in Mexico. I was lucky enough to get to help make the paper mache effigy of that year\u2019s festivities, which we fashioned in the shape of a snowman.<\/p>\n

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Bust Frosty for some delicious holiday treats | Image courtesy Amazon seller CoolGlow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Materials:<\/b><\/p>\n