From Christmas Gala to the Natchitoches Christmas Festival, many holiday events in Natchitoches, including those hosted on Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s campus, center around Christmas and Christian holidays.
Yet, aside from Christmas, holidays like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi and Yule are celebrated during the winter months.
Brittany Broussard, the director of the Center for Inclusion and Diversity and instructor in the Psychology and Addiction Studies Department, stated that, while she believes that the university has taken strides toward bettering the inclusivity on campus, there is not nearly enough being done for those who don’t celebrate Christmas.
The Center for Inclusion and Diversity originally petitioned for the end of semester gap between the fall and spring, formerly referred to as Christmas break, to be changed to winter break.
Aside from a multicultural Christmas celebration on campus, that still centers on Christmas and celebrating the Christian holiday, there is very little for students who aren’t interested or included in Christmas celebrations to attend.
“It is really othering for students not to be able to see themselves in these events and breaks,” Broussard said. “Celebrating Christmas and Thanksgiving isn’t something that everyone does. And there needs to be more opportunities for students and faculty to comfortably celebrate.”
Jonathan Friis, a senior music performance major, stated that even though he and his family intend to celebrate Christmas religiously, they typically celebrate commercially.
“Having events that are non-Christian related would be a benefit, but the probability of that happening is slim to none, given the Christian dynamic of the campus,” Friis said.
Sean Clark, a sophomore history major, noted it is hard to stay away from Christmas.
“Not only with living in the south, but Natchitoches is famous for the Christmas lights and festivals,” Clark said.
Clark stated that while they do celebrate Christmas on some level that the holiday does not fit into their own religious beliefs.
“It does seem silly sometimes, wanting holiday-type events that are explicitly for people who don’t celebrate Christmas, but I don’t think it’s that far off of a request,” Clark said.