Coming together brings us together: Catlin Gabel students’ family holiday traditions

By Erin Chow ‘25

From mooncakes to challah bread french toast, discover some of the unique family traditions of Catlin Gabel School (CGS) students during Heritage Months which allow them to grow closer to their families.

Throughout the year, many of the twelve months are categorized into representing ethnic and marginalized groups, otherwise known as Heritage Months. These months help acknowledge the various cultures and identities of others while acting as an opportunity to learn more about them.

Heritage Months are also a time to become more educated on how these ethnic groups are oppressed and marginalized in society. Recognizing these traditions within Heritage Months allows for additional community bonding and the ability to help ensure an inclusive space.

Many of these months are filled with holidays specifically spotlighting each of these cultures from Zhong Qiu Jie (Chinese mid-autumn festival) to Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). These holidays are a time when many family traditions take place, such as the making of cultural dishes and moments of introspection.

Zhong Qiu Jie, the Chinese mid-autumn festival, is a cultural holiday that takes place in late September. The holiday commemorates the moon as it is a symbol of abundance, harmony, and luck. Looking at the moon, making mooncakes, and lighting lanterns are all activities of Zhong Qiu Jie that people participate in.

CGS junior, Justin Xia remembers since he was little the tradition of his mom making homemade mooncakes and xian rou yue bing (meat-stuffed mooncakes) for the family to share during Zhong Qiu Jie.

Justin Xia’s mom enjoys making red bean mooncakes and Xian Rou Yue Bing (a savory mooncake) for his family to share. Image Courtesy of Taste Altas and The Woks of Life

The mooncakes Xia’s mom makes consist of red bean paste encased in a delicate crust. The red bean gives off a sweet flavor. Xian rou yue bing is a savory mooncake filled with ground pork and topped with sesame seeds.

Xia’s brother recently moved to college, allowing him to bond with his mother on a deeper level while she makes these mooncakes to share.

“When we eat the food, a lot of the time we will go over to my uncle's house,” Xia recalls before his uncle moved away.

Two months later, in early November, Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, takes place. Día de los Muertos is commonly celebrated in Mexico but is marked throughout Latin America. Día de los Muertos encompasses a variety of traditions such as decorating with marigolds, sugar skulls, and colorful banners. Each color of paper symbolizes a unique meaning.

One specific tradition that is commonly celebrated is the ofrenda (offering altar). Generally, family members decorate the altar with significant sentimental items that pertain to each of the loved family members. These items are commonly food, as they act as a way for those returning from the dead to have something to feast on.

One of the traditions during Día de los Muertos is the Ofrenda (offering altar). Image Courtesy of Los Angeles Times

“One of my dad’s best friends always drank Cokes, so I always include that in the altar,” said CGS Upper School Division Head, Aline Garcia-Rubio.

Before having children, Garcia-Rubio found herself not celebrating the ofrenda tradition as much and would find herself at her mom’s house during these specific traditions. Now, she takes this time as an opportunity to spend with her family reflecting and teaching her children the significance of traditions that have been a part of her life.

“For me, it's less about the Day of the Dead or less about Christmas and more about here we have an opportunity to do some reflection and spend time together,” Garcia-Rubio emphasized.

One of the home-baked goods of Día de los Muertos, is Pan de Muertos (bread of the dead), a traditional sweet treat and offering for the altar. The specific shape includes four lines crossing the bread which represents the limbs of the body while the ball in the center symbolizes the skull.

For senior Raul Rendon Benitez, making Pan de Muertos allowed him to grow closer to his grandmother when she started inviting him over to bake and share bread. Spending time with his grandmother allowed him to learn about people she valued and her role models.

“Usually we know our grandparents as ‘grandparents’, but they had lives before us, so I got to learn that side as well,” said Rendon Benitez. His favorite aspects of this tradition include eating the bread and sharing quality time with his grandmother.

Although December has not been designated as a specific Heritage Month celebration, Christmas is commonly observed among many citizens across the United States.

Both senior Pia Patrikson and junior Isaiah Dada have special Christmas Eve and Christmas morning traditions that involve cooking as a family.

On Christmas Eve, Patrikson’s family always eats a Swedish dinner; her role is the meatball maker. A Swedish dinner generally consists of meatballs, mashed potatoes, and some sort of vegetable dish. Patrikson’s dad is from Sweden and sharing this meal acts as a cultural bridge with her American family.

Similarly, Dada’s family has been collectively making challah bread french toast for many years on Christmas morning. This tradition acts as a way for his family to come together to “cook, enjoy, and talk with one another.”

Zhong Qiu Jie, Día de los Muertos, and Christmas are all holidays that have emphasized two important aspects of family holiday traditions: the significance of familial bonding and the impacts of cooking cultural food together.

Heritage Months draw people closer, allowing them to learn and acknowledge the cultures of marginalized and ethnic groups. Because of this, holidays during these times are an exceptional way to highlight a magnitude of cultures and traditions.

Catlin’s way of acknowledging and providing a learning experience of these cultures is shown through its annual Heritage Month celebration. This year the celebration will take place on Sunday, November 5.