With the holiday season upon us, we caught up with a few of our international student-athletes to find out more about their holiday traditions and experiences. Kelvin Neumetzler (Aachen, Germany) and Lawrence Yamaguchi (Tokyo, Japan) of men's soccer, and Chris Boateng (Accra, Ghana) of women's soccer all come from a diverse cultural background, and in this special Q&A segment, they talk about the biggest holidays in their home country, reflect on some unforgettable memories and share their favorite holiday dishes.  
   
        
Q: What is one of the biggest holidays in your home country and how do you celebrate?

Neumetzler: One of the biggest holidays in Germany is Christmas. As we don't celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving, the excitement and preparations for Christmas start very early. Also, we don't celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December like here in America, instead we celebrate and open presents on Christmas Eve, the evening before. I usually cook dinner with my family, listen to Christmas music and open presents afterwards.
 
Boateng: The biggest holidays are Christmas and Independence Day. Christmas Day is December 25, but the holiday is celebrated from December 20th through the first week in January. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year are translated to the Ghana language as "Afishapa" and is said to one another during that day. This day is celebrated by commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, however, some wake up before dawn and band together to sing carols, traveling from house to house to spread the news of Jesus' birth. People go to church on that day because it is a day of joy and merriment. Some people also stay at home and welcome visitors, friends and loved ones. While all kinds of activities are ongoing, you will see congregations from different churches who will come outside to sing, and whoever wants to dance will join in full of happiness and joy.
 
Independence Day (March 6) is a state holiday where a speech is given by the head of state. After that, schools, army, police academy, and workers will march past the head of state with their different flags and meanings. Ghana was originally a British colony and was known as the British Gold Coast until it changed to Republic of Ghana after gaining its independence on March 6, 1957. Ghana is a West African state located near the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Guinea. It is famous for its gold, cocoa and its nice people. Ghana is one of the most peaceful countries in Africa.
 
Yamaguchi: One of the biggest holidays we have is New Years. Families get together and eat traditional Japanese cuisines together. 
 
 
Q: Can you share any unique holiday traditions from your hometown?

Neumetzler: Germany is very well known for its Christmas markets and its so-called "Glühwein," which is hot red wine in a Christmas mug. Many cities in Germany have Christmas markets and tourists from all around the world visit them to enjoy Glühwein and the traditional food served at the various different stands. 
 
Boateng: For Christmas, traditionally people go to church dressed in traditional clothing. It is customary for Ghanaian Christians to fill their churches with flowers and palm branches to herald the arrival of Jesus. People decorate the trees at their home, for example the guava and mango trees, with colorful light. They sing Christmas carols, play all kinds of Christmas songs and dance. After church service, families typically return home and children receive gifts and treats. Some special traditional Christmas food is soup of meat served with Fufu. Such is the nature of the famous Ghanaian hospitality. This period is what they called it as the gift giving and receiving begins. Overall rich tradition abounds in Ghana, so it is no surprise to find that Christmas celebrations there retain the true meaning of the season without as much of the commercialism that can be seen in other parts of the world. Christmas in Ghana is a comparatively low-key affair, focusing around Christian traditions, family gatherings and spreading of goodwill.

Yamaguchi: During New Years, kids usually get something called an "otoshi-dama." This is provided by elders in the family and it is an envelope with money in them. 
 
 
Q: What are some of your favorite holiday memories from your childhood?

Neumetzler: My favorite Christmas memories are the classic ones that just include family dinner, listening to Christmas music and enjoying Christmas speculoos cookies. Obviously as a child I was excited to open the presents and was counting down the days with my advent calendar. 
 
Boateng: The favorite memories from my childhood are Christmas Day where I would go from house to house to play drama. I also remember running around on Christmas Eve and Christmas day shouting "Egbona hee, egogo Vo!!
 
 
Q: Are there any particular foods or meals you enjoy around the holidays?

Neumetzler: We eat many different typical German small bites and meals throughout the holiday. Like I mentioned before, we eat speculoos cookies and we also eat "Reibekuchen," which are deep fried shredded potatoes. We also enjoy a "Stolen," which is a type of cake with raisins.
 
Boateng: A particular food I enjoy around the holidays is goat soup with rice balls.

Yamaguchi: Sushi, mochi (Japanese rice cake) and soba (noodles).