Warren senior Mai Thao represented the Hmong New Year at Thursday’s Unified Holiday Celebration in her act that demonstrated Pov Pob.

“I am demonstrating Pov Pob, a ball-tossing game that was originally used to meet the person you were going to marry,” Thao said. “Now it is more focused on introducing children to each other, so they can bring their villages together as one.”
In the game, if someone drops the ball, they must give the other person something of theirs as collateral.

The 12th annual Unified Holiday Celebration was held in the Bovee University Center Rotunda and showcased multicultural holidays and organizations such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Thai New Year, Japanese New Year, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year, Diwali, Ramadan and the New Year Powwow.

“Experiencing this event is a way to see what great talent we have here at Central Michigan University,” said Sterling Heights sophomore John Kue.

The room was transformed into a dinner setting, where a wide array of food was served, complete with a main stage surrounded by display tables for each organization.

“Christmas is largely celebrated in America, so it’s nice to see minority groups coming together to celebrate other holidays,” said Thao, member of the Asian Cultural Organization.

Attending this event informed students about cultures different than their own and educated them on those cultures’ religious practices and traditions, said Kue, a member of the Asian Cultural Organization.

“People who come to the Unified Holiday Celebration get exposure to other cultures, break stereotypes, and gain diversity,” said Iron Mountain junior Rachelle Lindow, member of 12 C.A.R.A.T.S.

Fifteen acts were performed at the celebration and ranged from musicians and dancers to demonstrations of cultural traditions, including the voice of musician and Lansing senior Chris Cadogan, who welcomed the crowd.

Along with learning about other cultures’ customs, representatives from the Study Abroad program were present as well.

“I gained a greater perspective on culture from traveling abroad,” said Grandville senior Andrea Skala, representative of the John Cabot University in Rome. “It definitely opens your eyes to see how easy it is to travel around the world.”

E-mail the author: Ariel Black