TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Turn on Freeform channel – or most any cable network – this time of year and the pageantry, traditions and celebrations of an American Christmas holiday are in plain view. But what if some of your closest friends didn't celebrate the holiday like that at all?
That is the melting pot that is Indiana State's women's basketball program. A roster of 14 is made even more dynamic with three student-athletes hailing from three different foreign countries. Plus not every American is even Christian.
Freja Christensen (Denmark),
Maeva Kitantou (France) and
Ashley Taia (Australia) bring three different foreign experiences to Terre Haute.
Maryam Wilcher, from nearby Illinois, has already begun her holiday celebrations as Hanukkah began on Dec. 12.
For Christensen, the holiday is celebrated in a completely different fashion. Most celebrations take place on Dec. 24 and it involves plenty of singing and dancing.
"Normally on the 24
th we wake up, eat breakfast and go to church," Christensen explained. "Then we will come back and decorate and eat Christmas candy. We'll eat dinner that night and that is our big Christmas dinner. We have a Christmas tree in but in Denmark we walk around it while singing Christmas songs after dinner then open up presents late into the night."
Meanwhile in France the focus is on the food.
"With my family, we usually eat a big meal on the 24
th, go to church to celebrate then come back and eat and drink," Kitantou explained. "Then on the 25
th we open presents. But the biggest difference is the food. We will eat ham, bread and lots of fresh dishes. That is what I miss the most. My favorite dish is foie gras."
A delicacy common in France, foie gras is a luxury food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened.
For Taia, building snowmen wasn't necessarily a possibility as she grew up in Brisbane, Australia. Seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere and the month of December, the average high is 76 degrees (Fahrenheit). Most of the traditions in Australia are similar with Christmas trees, carols and the story of Santa Claus but warm weather turns the food focus from a hot roast dinner to cold turkey or ham, seafood and salads.
For Wilcher, the holiday celebrations have already begun. A member of the Jewish faith, on Dec. 12 she began celebrating Hanukkah, an eight-day celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Jews faith around 200 B.C. that is highlighted with the lighting of a candle each day of Hanukkah on the Menorah.
"When people ask I just try to explain the history of it," Wilcher said. "People think it is all about the gifts and I usually hear 'Oh it is so cool you get gifts every day,' but it isn't really about that. I just try explaining the history of Hanukkah and why we light the Menorah, the different offerings that we talk about and the food we eat, because it definitely looks different."
According to the Talmud, one of Judaism's most central texts, Judah Maccabee and the other Jews who took part in the rededication of the Second Temple witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the Menorah's candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply.
Regardless of their faith or nationality, the common theme of the holidays for all the Sycamores is family.
"When I was younger I liked getting a present every day. But that was just because I was a kid and I wanted the toys. As I have gotten older I just really appreciated my family and being around them. I don't really ask for presents at all, we just light the Menorah and say prayers in Hebrew, thanking God. It is good to just be around my family," Wilcher explained.
This December, Kitantou will be spending her fourth consecutive Christmas holiday in the United States but has found friends to celebrate with in America.
"My favorite part of Christmas is being with my family, my parents and the people I love."
For Christensen, it will be her first Christmas away from her family as the 14-hour flight traversing six time zones became unfeasible this year.
"My freshman year my parents came over and stayed through New Years," she explained. "The last two years, I have gone home but this year I will be staying with friends in Cincinnati. It will be my first American Christmas!"
This melting pot family of Sycamores returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 19 as they host Miami (Ohio) at the Hulman Center at 7 p.m.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Women's Basketball team, make sure to check out
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram.
