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International Affairs celebrates the diverse knowledge, skills, lived experiences, and perspectives of all students, faculty, staff, and alumni of UC Riverside. We are a university on the rise and we celebrate the success of our dynamic global community.

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By all appearance most people might assume I celebrate Christmas or maybe even Kwanzaa. My family actually celebrates Chanukah! Due to my Sephardic lineage, I am both ethnically and religiously Jewish. Chanukah is my favorite holiday and not just because of eight nights of presents, but I have more than one day to celebrate with family and friends. Traditionally, we have one night where we celebrate at the synagogue, one with the Chabad Jewish Community Center of Riverside, one with friends, and the rest of the nights are with family. If there are special events happening at other local synagogues we will attend them. The other part I like about this holiday is the fried food. Since Chanukah is about the Maccabees successfully rebellion against Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the small quantity of oil to light the Temple's menorah miraculously lasting eight days; the fried food is a symbol of the oil. So you get lots of tasty fried treats.
LaSharon McLean Perez
Assistant Director, Ed Abroad

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To Koreans, this time is called Chuseok, also known as Hangawi. And as big as Thanksgiving is in the U.S., Chuseok is huge in Korea. It's one of the country's most significant holidays of the year, and could even be called Korean Thanksgiving.
I have early memories of just being able to peer over the kitchen table, watching my mother thread beef, scallion, and imitation crab pieces onto short skewers to make colorful Korea pancakes.
- Jenny Shin
Student Advisor in International Students and Scholars office

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The hotpot has a long history of over 1,000 years in China. It used to be favored only in winter, but recently hotpot has been appearing on tables all year round. Beside the delicious flavor, there are two other important reasons for Chinese liking hotpot: the first one is that it is a great way to socialize. People gather around the pot, chatting, eating, drinking, and having fun. The other is that hotpot is a "healthy meal". Boiling is better than frying, and bone nutrients are released into the broth. Eating hotpot can warm the body and improve circulation in winter, and increase perspiration to help cool the body in summer. Some seasonings used in hotpots can help alleviate some minor illnesses like colds, blocked sinuses, and headaches.

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The hotpot has a long history of over 1,000 years in China. It used to be favored only in winter, but recently hotpot has been appearing on tables all year round. Beside the delicious flavor, there are two other important reasons for Chinese liking hotpot: the first one is that it is a great way to socialize. People gather around the pot, chatting, eating, drinking, and having fun. The other is that hotpot is a "healthy meal". Boiling is better than frying, and bone nutrients are released into the broth. Eating hotpot can warm the body and improve circulation in winter, and increase perspiration to help cool the body in summer. Some seasonings used in hotpots can help alleviate some minor illnesses like colds, blocked sinuses, and headaches.

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Lisa Luu-Luc
International Student Advisor

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Also known in Khmer as "Bon Om Touk." From late-October to early-November, Cambodia celebrates its annual Water Festival, when the flow of the famous Tonle Sap River reverses. There is boat racing, music, and of course, food! The purpose of the festival is to mark the end of the rainy season and to express gratitude for bountiful harvests of rice and fish.
Macy J. Ring
Education Abroad Advisor

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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We invite friends, family, friends-of-friends, and even homeless people we run into to a turkey dinner with all of the fixings (mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, salad, corn, cranberries, pumpkin pie with whipped cream). We had games before (Yahtzee and such) available and a sort of "photo booth" without the booth with printed photos provided to each in the following week.

Lenore Davison
Case Management Coordinator International Scholar Team

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Every year, our family celebrates the coming of the new year on December 31 by eating Toshikoshi Soba. Soba is a bowl or plate of  buckwheat noodles that can be served both hot and cold. These noodles are eaten on New Year's Eve to signify the end of the current year and to have good fortune and a long and healthy life in the New Year. The tradition is said to have stared many years ago when temples served Soba to those in need on the eve of the new year.

Kelly Eldridge Hinosawa
Associate Director, International Students and Scholars

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My family does not celebrate Thanksgiving, but we go out to eat dim sum for the holiday break to eat good food for breakfast/early lunch. Dim sum is a meal of many small dishes and tea (yum cha), and these dishes are served by waiters who push around steam-heated carts. These dishes often include dumplings, rolls, buns, cakes, and various desserts, such as egg tart (pictured below - my favorite).

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Being from Minnesota and having Norwegian heritage, Lefse is an essential component of our family Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Lefse is a soft potato flatbread that is usually round and very thin. Making lefse is a bit labor and time intensive. It helps to have a large group working together so you can set up stations for rolling the dough, making the rounds, grilling and flipping the rounds and then stacking them up. And it's a lot of fun - people tell stories, we laugh, and sample our delicious treat. There is nothing better than fresh lefse, warm from the griddle! Lefse can be used for lots of things - some people use lefse for a sandwich wrap or to replace a hotdog bun. But our family prefers lefse as a sweet treat, with a thin layer of butter spread out and white sugar sprinkled on top. To serve, roll up the round and enjoy! ❤️

Shanon Langlie
Director of Marketing and Communications for International Affairs

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In my Mexican culture, we celebrate Dia de los Muertos. It's a holiday were we honor those who have passed by creating altars with their favorite foods, drink, or things they enjoyed. Some of the foods that are common in the altars are bread, tamales, and fruits. Common drinks are hot chocolate, soda, and beer. Objects that the deceased commonly used such as a hat, toy, or cigarette are also placed on the altar. The celebration consists of everything they liked when they were alive to encourage their visit. Essentially its a day were mourning turns into celebration.