Submitted by Angela Yu on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Martinique sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…
My first week in Martinique has been a big adjustment, but also one of the greatest experiences of my life. When I first arrived, the housing was very different than what I was used to. The house is not enclosed like in the United States, for example, the dining room is outside. There were many customs that I quickly realized were not like back home, such as little to no snacking between meals, sleeping with a mosquito net, etc. It was hard the first day adjusting, but it was only because I have never traveled this far before. It was very easy adjusting after that because my host family was so welcoming.
My favorite tradition so far has been the celebration of the festival of Epiphany. The tradition is a traditional French holiday in which they celebrate the arrival of the three kings who visited baby Jesus. We ate a cake called King’s cake in English and la galette des rois in French. There is a small figure baked into the cake and whoever gets the piece is the king for that night. Sadly, I did not get to be king but nonetheless, I have having an amazing time learning about Martinique.
