Washington area foreign students enjoy the variety that the holiday season in the US has to offer

Overseas Chinese students made the most of the Christmas and New Year's Eve holidays by dining out at restaurants, attending local parties or traveling around America.

As the year drew to an end, one thing Chinese students had in common with Americans was taking advantage of all the goodies on sale. It's like a kneejerk reaction to the holidays, said Sun Yang, a graduate student at George Washington University.

'Some people choose to experience a 'real' Christmas by blending in with local people or going to church, whereas others who stick with Chinese ways and enjoy eating with friends in Chinese restaurants or traveling around,' Sun said.

Celebrating festivals can really go beyond scratching the surface of experiencing American culture, according to Ling Peng, an exchange student at Georgetown University from Renmin University of China.

Ling was invited by a large Chinese - American family he had met in church to celebrate Christmas and decided to join them to learn more about American culture and religious customs.

'Most of the families are Christian,' Ling said. 'And they are very critical of the commercialization of Christmas because it is supposed to be a holiday of reunion, prayer and sharing happiness rather than buying stuff all the time.'

Chinese people tend to be foodies on holidays. Many Chinese students celebrate New Year's Eve and Christmas just as it is celebrated in China. Eating in a great restaurant and watching a movie are the perfect match, according to Yu Shanshan, who just graduated from George Washington University.

Dining out at an Americanized Chinese restaurant is different from a restaurant in China in one key respect. 'When I go to the Chinese restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia, I am the only Chinese person there,' Yu said.

Unlike Chinese restaurants, karaoke bars in DC are full of Chinese students. Zhang Lei, a graduate student at George Mason University, said, “You can fi nd all the popular Chinese songs and English songs there. We like going to karaoke bars - they make us feel like we are back home and back in college life.'

Xue Boyang, graduate student at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, wanted to experience the holidays in diff erent parts of the US. He went to North Carolina and Atlanta for Christmas and joined a party of friends back in DC.

'The weather is very warm in the South, just like the people there. I really like their hospitality,' Xue said. 'Back in DC, everyone at the party was originally from diff erent countries. I truly think the US as a country of immigrants.'

As fresh and new an experience the American holidays were for some, there were still just as many Chinese students going back to China to be with their families.

Pan Jialiang in Washington contributed to the story

He Yue (second from left), graduate student at department of Public Policy in Georgetown University celebrates Christmas with her host family in Washington. Provided To China Daily

Xue Boyang (second from right), graduate student at School of Advanced International Studies in Johns Hopkins University has dinner with his classmates in Washington on Christmas Eve. Provided To China Daily

                                                                                                                             (China Daily USA 01/08/2016 page14)