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Festive spirit
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Offbeat American hospitality to foreign students
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Christmas celebrations cut across the bounds of region and religion, language and race. While it is left to individuals to soothe and cheer the needy and the afflicted through caring and sharing, the hospitality of the ordinary American people to for
eign students in U.S. universities at Christmas time is admirable.
Two or three weeks before Christmas, American families contact foreign students, Christian and non Christian alike, and invite them to their homes for Christmas. On the Christmas day, one of the family members goes to the student’s place and takes him/her home for lunch. The foreign student is treated to a delicious and sumptuous dinner. In a friendly atmosphere they learn something of each other’s country culture, religion, social and educational systems. Usually, the host family also gives a gift – some nice article beautifully wrapped for the student to cherish. At the end of the day, the host family packs some cake and personally drop the students at their campuses/apartments. It is found this hospitality is a regular feature in the Eastern part of the USA where most of the Irish and Polish Catholics live. In fact, even at the time of enrolment in an American University, a host family is arranged for a foreign student if he/she so likes. The intimacy established at a Christmas or similar get together goes a long way in sealing a lasting friendship.
Another example of American magnanimity at Christmas time is experienced in the shopping malls which become fabulous during the festival season.. It is no exaggeration to say that the day after Christmas, the shopping mall is the most visited place in the USA. That day the prices of all the goods, especially Christmas articles like candies, cookies, Christmas trees and decoration items and most dresses are slashed down. The price is brought lower and lower each hour. An Indian student once patiently waited for nearly three hours for the lowering of the price of a small Christmas tree which sang Silent Night, Holy Night, originally priced $12, it was finally reduced to $3 When the student bought it. Asked why the shop is underselling by so much, one of the staff said, “we have a certain target. Once we reach that target profit, we want people to enjoy these goods. We can also get new stocks. So we give them away at throwaway prices.” It was very edifying to note that there is a business culture permeated by Christmas spirit.
B.F. SHOWRAYYA
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