Every year, Calvin Seminary celebrates Christmas Around the World, one of the most anticipated events of the fellowship calendar.
This celebration gives members of the 23 nations represented at Calvin Seminary the opportunity to share their own Christmas traditions, practices, and cuisine.
“Christmas Around the World is more than a feast of food from around the world—it is a multicultural, multi-sensory delight,” said Jeff Sajdak, the dean of students.
“Listening to steel drums from Trinidad, an angklung from Indonesia, choirs from Korea and China, watching a humorous skit from Canada, and learning about Christmas traditions in Nigeria. . . . It’s a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas as a seminary community.”
Like most seminary events, fellowship over food is central to the celebration. People often bring dishes to the potluck that represent their cultural or family Christmas traditions.
Christmas Around the World is a time of making room for different traditions and celebrating the diversity of the world God created.
Faculty, staff, and students all have the opportunity to share of themselves with the rest of the community, illustrating the beauty and diversity of the Christian faith.
Christianne Zeiger, a second-year M.Div. student and the 2015 Fellowship Committee chairperson, said she enjoyed the event and all of the performances, and “how so many students eagerly presented their cultural backgrounds.”
She especially loved “the seminary audience, who didn't leave after eating all the great food but stayed even until the end of the performances to support their brothers and sisters with loving applause and cheer. It was a such a great picture of being the family of God!”
About the Author
Emily Sajdak, Calvin Seminary
