Southeast Missouri State's tennis team embraces the cultures of six separate countries, backgrounds and holiday traditions, creating a unique atmosphere during the holiday break.

Many players are unable to go home to their countries because of money and available time.

Freshmen Kseniya Zonova and Oleksandra Doroshenko are natives of Kharkiv, Ukraine, and have been able to hear about traditional American Christmas customs, which vary compared to Ukrainian traditions more than they realized.

Generally in Eastern European countries, like Ukraine for example, the celebration of Christmas is not as significant as the celebration of the new year.

"I'm not really sure why, but we actually celebrate New Year's twice," Zonova said. "We celebrate it on the first day of the year, and on Jan. 7."

Instead of the hype of Santa Claus that Americans experience in the states, the significance of saints in European countries is much more important. In the Ukraine and Serbia, St. Nickolas is celebrated.

Senior Mila Majtan is from Belgrade, Serbia, and many Ukrainian traditions are similar to those she remembers celebrating during the holiday season when she was home.

"I remember placing shoes outside of my door for our saint to fill them with a gift before I woke up the next morning," Majtan said. "It's those little things that really make you miss home, you know?"

For Majtan, it would be too expensive to travel home for the holidays. The travel would include at least 21 hours, three different planes and many hours of layover.

"I would love be be able to be home for winter break, but it's just not going to work for me this year," Majtan said. "I am thankful that Southeast is a place that feels like home at this point. The people here make it easier, though."

Sophomore Ana Canahuate-Torres, is able to travel back home to the Dominican Republic during winter and summer breaks.

"In the Dominican, celebrations are always so extravagant," Canahuate-Torres said. "We eat a lot of food and always dance merengue at the end of the night."

Opposed to some traditional American holiday foods like ham, turkey, stuffing or cranberry sauce, Canahuate-Torres explained in detail the importance of food in her culture.

"We roast a huge pig over a fire--that's the biggest deal," Canahuate-Torres said. "Rice is always a staple during the celebrations, rice pudding and a lot of desserts."

Sophomore Anaias Emelie of France expressed the significance of fondue during the holiday season where she is from.

"You know, France is known for fondue, it's kind of cliche," Emelie said. "But it's actually true. We eat a lot of it at social events."

A French delicacy Emelie remembers is called foie gras. This food is essentially the liver of a duck that has been specially fattened.

"We don't really eat it any other time of the year, so it's a special treat," Emelie said.

To Emelie, home is a social place to gather with her entire community and to visit with one another.

"In the streets, the lights and window displays are very pretty," Emelie said. "It's one of my favorite things about Christmastime in France."

Senior Indonesian native Annisa Warasanti does not have many fond memories of Christmastime in her home country. She is unable to go back to Indonesia during the winter break. Instead, she plans to stay in Cape Girardeau and relax without the stresses of classes and tennis.

The only occasion Warasanti correlates with the holiday season is visiting her grandparents' gravesite with other family members.

Along with nontraditional occasions to celebrate the holiday season, senior Joanne Hollings from New Zealand celebrates Christmas on the beach, due to the summer season there being during winter months in America.

"Down under, we don't eat potatoes and gravy on Christmas day," Hollings said. "We have a lot of foods you eat in the summertime."

Hollings' favorite foods during her Christmas celebration are fruit salads and sponge cakes.

For Southeast athletes, the members of the tennis team are unique in many ways, including the distance from their home countries. For some, they are unable to travel home and are missing the holiday season with their families. Others are planning to spend significant time in the air in exchange for quality time back home across the world.