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Community Corner

Holiday Traditions in the City Plaza

Watsonville showed it's multicultural colors in the Plaza on Saturday.

A multitude of cultural groups and organizations shared their holiday traditions, song, and dance with the community on Saturday, in Watsonville's first "Traditions in the Plaza" event. The party kicked off with a drumming session by the Watsonville Taiko drummers.

Watsonville's Senior Center's dance group, "Grupo Allegría," performed traditional Mexican folk dances in the plaza, and their singing group, "Villa Allegre" sang Christmas carols in english and spanish. 

"I really enjoy this, it's good exercise," said Esther Herrera, who has been dancing with the group for three years. 

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The Estrellas de Esperanza, a children's dance group also danced Mexican folk dances.

"Their dances come from the Northern region of Mexico, so there is a real western influence, and there's also the German influence with the polka and accordion music," said Ruby Vasquez, dance instructor for the Estrellas De Esperanza. 

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Booths were set up around the periphery of the plaza, like the Japanese American Citizens League's, where people could learn how to write their name in Japanese and learn about Japanese holiday traditions.

Marcia Hashimoto explained the Rice Cake offering, a Buddhist New Year's tradition which involves rice or mochi (for good luck) cooked and pounded into two cakes, and then stacked on top of each other with a tangerine on top—the tangerine must have a leaf, said Hashimoto.

"This is to celebrate New Years, it's an offering to our family members that have passed away," said Hashimoto. The offering is generally left out for two weeks. 

Around the corner, a small stage was erected and different groups took turns singing. "We used to go door by door singing these songs, you know, and welcome the people. They would invite you in for sweets and liquors," said Celeste Carvalho about the Christmas songs the group sang from the Azores. 

The Filipino Community of Watsonville, an organization with 350 members, sang "Pasko Na Naman" and "Joy to the World."

Tempel Beth El's booth was a popular stop for children to play dreidel games and learn about Hanukkah traditions. There was also a bilingual christmas carol sing along, and various organizations from the community including the Women's Crisis Prevention Center, the YWCA, the Sons of Italy, Second Harvest Food Bank, and the Salvation Army.

"It was such a great turn out," said Vasquez. "I think it's hit its mark as far as being a multicultural event."

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