By Alyssa Brock
Being thousands of miles and oceans apart from family would be difficult for many students, but some international students have found ways to celebrate their holidays at their new home.
Bruno Soria, a senior from Chile, said he is going to miss Christmas, Easter and the Chilean Independence Day from my family.
“I try to celebrate with the Chilean people I have here and try to have a barbeque and cook simple meals,” he said.
The Chilean Independence Day happens to be Soria’s favorite holiday, he said.
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“It is my favorite because it is not just one day, but a whole week, and we normally go to a nice place in Chile and eat a lot of food,” Soria said.
Soria said his favorite dish during the holiday is the Pastel De Choclo, which is a smash sweet corn with ground beef, onions and eggs.
Haziq Zed, a senior from Malaysia, said he celebrated Eid this year by going to Lexington with one of his Muslim friends.
Eid marks the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting, according to the Britannica.
“Traditionally, we get up early in the mornings for our Eid prayer and go to different families' houses and eat a lot of food,” Zed said.
With Zed being so far away from home, he said the biggest challenge during the holidays is not being able to see his family and celebrate with them.
Amber Hofenk Jerembo, a senior from the Netherlands, said, “I am home for big holidays like Christmas, so I don’t really have an issue with being away from home as much.”
Hofenk Jerembo said she is missing King’s Day, which is the birthday of the nation’s king. Everyone has the day off from work and school, and the entire country is painted orange.
“We play games all day,” Hofenk Jerembo said.
Children prepare for a sack race during the Chilean Independence Day. Photo courtesy of Bruno Soria.
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