Northeastern Junior College continued its celebration of diversity with a trip around the world Tuesday evening as it presented a Hanging of the Greens holiday celebration inside the E.S. French Atrium.
Every year, NJC attracts students from all over the world to participate in athletics or to get their start on a college education in the United States. This year, the college has students ranging from New Zealand to Brazil and across Europe and Asia and the Hanging of the Greens event gave these students the opportunity to share how they celebrate the holidays in their home counties.
Hanging of the Greens refers to a historic tradition begun in early Europe where churches were decorated for the holiday season. The NJC event featured local vendors, music from the NJC music program and festive decorations and food from around the world, as well as free NJC beanie hats, perfect for the cold weather!
The walls were filled with information about various holiday traditions in our countries. For instance, did you know that in Japan, Christmas is celebrated similarly to Valentine’s Day in the United States? It is considered a romantic holiday. So, good luck trying to book a table on Christmas night.
NJC President Mike White expressed his appreciation to Northeastern Nation, a team comprised of volunteers from around the campus who arrange these events.
“Celebrating the cultures of our international students provides a unique experience to our college, and we learn so much from them throughout the year,” he said.
In keeping with NJC’s celebration of diversity, if you’ve been to the college recently you might have noticed the new signage on many of the buildings that welcome NJC’s international students in their language. Additionally, the Sterling Correctional Facility art program provides paintings that are displayed around campus during each heritage month.
For the Hanging of the Greens, the team did seven paintings reflecting the holidays in some of the countries where students live. The artists, including Dale Bruner, Daniel Malcom, Craig Forbes, John Matheney, Sam Llincoln, Alarico Medina, Joseph Hill, Lynell Hill, Zachary Sullivan, and Michael Paprocki, will continue to provide works through the spring, with Black History Month coming next.