Plainsboro’s holiday bash marks winter holidays around the globe
By: Emily Craighead
PLAINSBORO Between 12:30 and 5 p.m. Saturday, the township’s courtroom became a quiet and peaceful environment for meditation, while the children’s room in the library echoed with the banging of drums and the low hum of a didgeridoo, an Aborigine instrument from Australia.
It was Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s all at once at the Municipal Building as community members celebrated winter holidays from around the globe at an event aptly dubbed "Traditions."
Within the confines of the municipal complex, Plainsboro residents took their Traditions passports to get stamps from the United States to Europe, the Far East, South America, Africa, the Orient and the Middle East.
"The idea here is to bring all these people together," said Robert Yuell, director of the Plainsboro Historical Society. He added that the festival gives older immigrants the opportunity to share their traditions with the wider community.
Mr. Yuell hosted an "Old Fashioned American Christmas" at the Wicoff House, where visitors could also see European folk crafts from the Princeton Embroiderer’s Guild and a nature garland workshop set up by the Plainsboro Park Rangers. The historical society’s Christmas display will be up through January.
At 1:30 p.m., a town crier, dressed in a Revolutionary War-era costume, rang his bell and shouted for one and all to join the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association for a meditation demonstration in the courtroom. An expectant group sat in rows watching as a member of the association slowly folded himself into the lotus position, a triangular shape said to help practitioners tap into mystical energy and stay very grounded at the same time.
A half-hour later, the spell was broken, and the town crier announced that an Indian dance program combining traditional and modern elements would soon take the stage in the courtroom.
Amy Slothower, 11, performed the role of the little town crier last year, announcing the start of dance programs and demonstrations.
This year, she came to the festival just to enjoy herself, observing a skilled Chinese calligrapher who wrote the symbol for happiness on a piece of paper for her, and munching on holiday treats in the library with her friend, Anupa Otib, 11.
"It’s fun, because you can go around and learn about different countries," Anupa said.
The Municipal Building’s lobby was filled with colorful crafts: Chinese knots by Mimi Yang, Japanese temari balls by Wenning Han, and more.
Down the hallway, traditional English, African, Mexican, Irish and Indian dance groups took the stage.
Across the courtyard in the library, Santa Claus sat in an armchair, greeting children and adults with a cheery "Merry Christmas!"
Behind Santa Claus, in the back of the children’s section, Mike Wojik mesmerized audiences with the deep drone of his didgeridoo.
"It’s nice to introduce them to something like the didgeridoo, especially because it has so much history," said Mr. Wojik, who brought along numerous percussion instruments.
The event was organized by the Plainsboro Recreation Department and the Plainsboro Arts Partnership, a public-private collaboration for the promotion of cultural arts in the community.

