学生広報委員の1年生、外門愛里菜さん、福村愛結さんによる「ハロウィン」「クリスマス」「イースター」の３つの祭事について、各国でどのように行われているかGSEの先生方にインタビューを行う企画の第２弾です！

 

今回はアメリカご出身のアサダ先生に英語でインタビューを行いましたので、その模様をお届けします！

 

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左から　外門さん、福村さん、アサダ先生

※撮影時のみマスクを外しています。

 

【Halloween Questions】

 

Q. What is Halloween like for America?

　Halloween is a very big holiday in America. I think especially in the last thirty years it’s become much bigger. So, when I was a kid, I did trick-or-treating with neighbors. Also, there are some parties for college students. However, now Americans love Halloween more. Costumes are very different and interesting.

 

Q. Are there any differences between Halloween in Japan and America?

　I think now in Japan some places do trick-or-treating. Companies hold events in shopping districts and malls for children. College students have parties on Halloween. America and Japan are not much different.

 

Q. In Japan, many young people gather in Shibuya dressed up for Halloween. What do you think about that?

　That’s really fun. However, it’s very crowded there.

 

Q. What are you most proud of on Halloween in America?

　For children, they can wear many kinds of costumes that they want like cats and witches that are common in Japan.  Like children, adults wear costumes such as historical characters and famous characters. I think that is very creative.

 

Q. When you were a student did you dress up and go to school on Halloween?

　When I was an elementary school student, I dressed up and went to school on Halloween.

 

Q. I spend Halloween day with friends rather than family. Do you spend it with family or with friends in America?

　People like elementary school students spend Halloween with their family. They will do trick-or-treating together. People like high school students and college students spend time with their friends. For example, they enjoy going to Halloween parties.

 

Q. How are houses and towns decorated on Halloween?

　Americans decorate their houses a lot. I saw my friend decorating in their post on Instagram. Decorating jack-o-lanterns and hanging spider threads are very scary.

 

Q. Is there a culture of handing out treats and what kind of treats do you give out?

　There is a culture of handling out treats. They distribute various kinds of candy and chocolate and gum. Those sweets are big or small, sweet or sour.

 

〜Student’s impressions〜

　We clearly see Halloween as a more important event in America. However, we thought that Halloween in Japan and America were relatively similar. We thought the difference was that Americans decorate their houses on Halloween. Japanese sometimes have parties with their friends and family, but we didn’t think we had seen many people decorating their houses.

 

 

 

　　　　　　

　　

 

【Christmas Questions】

Q. Does everyone have a Christmas tree? Do you go out to buy one every year?

　Christmas is a religious holiday, so if a person celebrates Christmas, they might have a Christmas tree. In the US, even if you are not religious, some people still might celebrate Christmas. My family often bought a tree, but my grandmother, for example, had a fake tree, which she brought out each year. It really depends on the family. The smell of real Christmas trees is really nice.

 

Q. Who do you spend Christmas eve with? What do you do?

　It depends on the family if we celebrate. Christmas is the time of caring and giving. There may be someone in your life that may be new in town, or doesn’t have family nearby, so we often invite  them to our house to spend time together. We don’t get lonely at Christmas.

 

Q. Who do you spend Christmas day with? What do you do?

　It depends on the family too. Christmas is the biggest family holiday in the US. Each family has its own kind of Christmas day routine. So, in my family, when I was a kid, with two sisters, we were very eager children for Christmas. We got up early to make my parents coffee first, and we opened the presents, and later family came over, and we had a Christmas dinner.

 

Q. Did you have a special Christmas meal?

　I think it depends on the family too. America is very diverse country. Different parts on America have different traditions. In my family, my grandmother often makes coconut cake.

 

Q. Christmas mass is not often held in Japan, do many people in America to go the Christmas mass?

　Some people might go, if they are religious. Often at the time of Christmas eve there are candlelight services. I went a few times as a kid, to hold the candle and sing songs, and also to pray for the birth of Jesus. It depends on the family, because it is very religious going to church.

 

～Student’s impression～

　In Japan, the common way to spend Christmas is to eat delicious food on Christmas Eve, and families with children sleep waiting for Santa Claus, and exchange presents on Christmas Day. People tend to spend Christmas in Japan with their girlfriend or boyfriend, but I think that's because Japan incorporates Christmas culture from overseas. I could feel that it is normal in America, where there are many different races, that different families spend different times.

 

 

 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

 

 

【Easter Question】

Q. What do you most enjoy about Easter?

　I enjoyed the easter egg hunt the most.

 

Q. In Japan, Easter is only celebrated at Christian schools, how about in America?

　It is a Christian holiday. It depends on  different people who practice Christianity, who celebrate it. Also, people who are not Christian might celebrate as well. Easter egg hunt is very fun for kids.

 

Q. What is usually painted on Easter eggs?

　Usually, we don’t draw on the Easter eggs. But sometimes people might draw something.

 

Q. Do you want to do Easter in Japan?

　I think Easter egg hunt is really fun.

 

Q. Do you celebrate the Easter with friends or family?

　I usually celebrate with family at Easter.

 

Q. How do you celebrate at Easter?

　First, when children wake up, usually there is an Easter basket near the bed. Inside the baskets, there are all kinds of candies, usually a  chocolate Easter bunny, and sometimes very simple toys. Some people might go to the sunrise service at church. It's very early in the morning.

 

Q. Is there anything to eat at Easter?

　Candy or chocolate. I think depends on the family, and their own traditions on what to cook. So my family often made ham.

 

～Student’s impression～

　I could feel that the Easter egg hunt was one of the most exciting events for American children. I thought Easter was a Christian celebration, so I thought most people would spend the same kind of time, but I found it really interesting that it varies from family to family, just like Christmas. I wanted to try the traditional Easter dishes of each house.

 

 

 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

 

インタビュー：外門愛里菜、福村愛結（国際学部１年）

 

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この記事の日本語verは以下のリンクよりご覧いただけます。

【国際学部】学生広報委員による比較文化インタビュー！～アサダ先生　日本語編～

https://www.kyoritsu-wu.ac.jp/academics/undergraduate/kokusai/news/detail.html?id=3795

 

また、オーストラリア出身のマーク先生編の記事は以下のリンクよりご覧いただけますので、併せてご覧ください！

 

【国際学部】学生広報委員による比較文化インタビュー！～マーク先生編～

https://www.kyoritsu-wu.ac.jp/academics/undergraduate/kokusai/news/detail.html?id=3728

 

【国際学部】学生広報委員による比較文化インタビュー！～マーク先生　日本語編～

https://www.kyoritsu-wu.ac.jp/academics/undergraduate/kokusai/news/detail.html?id=3762