For some, preparation for an upcoming holiday is as easy as heading to the local store for supplies, but for others, it’s not that simple.
The nine-night Hindu festival of Navratri started Saturday, and there isn’t much members of the Indian Students Association can do to celebrate the holiday like they do at home.
More often than not, making certain foods is difficult because American markets don’t have the same items, said Bhakti Shah, executive committee member of the Indian Students Association.
“Back home, whenever there were certain holidays that required special offerings, (ingredients) were readily available in markets so it was easy to prepare,” she said. “Here in the States we have to make it from scratch and for all the ingredients to be available is a big problem.”
During the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha, it is custom to slaughter an animal—usually a sheep, goat, or lamb—but Athens forbids the slaughter of animals within the city limits, said Omar Kurdi, communications chair for the Muslim Student Association and a junior studying political science and global studies.
“We have a Muslim farmer that lives outside the Athens limits that helps us out every year,” Kurdi said. “But there is only so much one can do, and so, it’s really a logistical problem in Southeast Ohio.”
But for other holidays, there is a little more that can be done to make the celebration more traditional.
The Jewish community on campus is always working with the local community, and it’s been easier to put things together, said Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, executive director of Hillel.
“The students and Jewish community members have great ideas and interest in creating communities around the holidays, and we have the support of faculty and administrators,” she said. “Last year, dining services was great at having a feast that was Passover friendly.”
Having a community is an important part of what makes celebrating the holidays easier, Kurdi said.
“The difficulty of celebration is not only that we do not live in an Islamic country, nor predominantly Muslim community, and so the holiday does not feel the same, but also it isn’t a holiday for others, and you lose the great feeling of huge solidarity and community,” Kurdi said.
With family and supplies across the globe, it’s hard for some to observe important holidays that they have celebrated since birth, but although Athens is far from India, friends help make such moments easier, Shah said.
“Athens has given me new friends, and we arrange for events that we celebrate back home, which I love and really appreciate, but home is home,” she said. “It’s difficult, but there is a reason we left home, and it’s all a package.”
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