This year's 48th Annual Holiday Coffee will showcase a variety of cultures and offer coffee and cookies to ASU staff, faculty, retirees and students.
The event will take place today from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Arizona and Ventana ballrooms at the Memorial Union and is open to all students, faculty and staff.
Cindy Greer, chairwoman of the Holiday Coffee committee, said this is the first year students would participate in showing how different cultures celebrate the holiday season.
"I am very excited about it, and it's great that the students are interested in doing it during such a busy time of the year," she said.
Some of the cultures that will be sharing their holiday traditions this year are American Indian, Jewish and African. Greer said it would give those who attend an opportunity to learn about other cultures and that this year's gathering isn't "just about Christmas."
She added that the event would allow students and faculty from various backgrounds to experience other traditions.
Architecture sophomore Chris Hubbell said he would attend the event if he had enough free time and said he thought it was a good chance for students to learn about other cultures.
Digital art junior Raja Walia wasn't sold on the multicultural event and said the event should be a Christmas-only celebration.
He said some of his friends were planning to go, but he also said they might change their minds.
"If it were a cultural awareness thing, then they probably wouldn't go because it's like preaching," he said.
Holiday Coffee has been a longtime tradition at ASU and serves as an annual celebration of community and tradition, Greer said.
"It started with just a small group of people, but now it has grown to over 3,000 students, staff, faculty and retirees," she added.
Greer, who has been organizing the Holiday Coffee for three years, said it is something she always looks forward to because of the excitement that spreads across the campus.
"So many people look forward to [Holiday Coffee] as well, so we get a lot of satisfaction out of that," she said.
Attendees can sip on Starbucks coffee, hot chocolate, tea and hot apple cider and feast on assorted cookies, bagels and muffins. Greer said Lucille White, who has played the harp for the event since 1982, would provide entertainment.
City editor Cameron Eickmeyer contributed to this report. Reach the reporter at pamela.j.coffman@asu.edu.
