The spirit of celebration has never been more alive at Taft. This fall, our community came together to honor cultural holidays from around the world: the Mid-Autumn Festival, Diwali, Rosh Hashanah, and Hispanic Heritage Month.
Mid-Autumn Festival
Centered around family, the moon, and mooncakes, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates reunion and wholeness. It is one of the most important holidays in China and has similar versions in Japan and Korea. HONG, the Chinese affinity group at Taft, organized a get-together for anyone interested in celebrating. Affinity leaders Hannah Xu ‘26 and Alex He ‘26 hoped that this gathering would not only be a “home away from home” for those who celebrate but also introduce this wonderful holiday to those unfamiliar with it. During the gathering, they tasted mooncakes, tested each other with lantern riddles, and crafted paper lanterns with wishes and blessings, which were later displayed in Prentice Dining Hall. In collaboration with the Photography Club, HONG also hosted a school-wide photography contest starring the moon. Congratulations to this year’s winner: Alex Zarazua ‘28!
Diwali
Diwali is a vibrant Hindu festival celebrated by over a billion people worldwide. At Taft, Mehar Trehan ‘26, head of the South Asian Affinity, hosted a Diwali celebration in the faculty room, decorating the doors with brightly colored flowers. Surrounding a long table, everyone indulged in delicious butter chicken with naan and rice while listening to Indian pop music in the background. Diwali symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It is a time for self-reflection and gratitude. Just this year, Connecticut recognized Diwali as a state holiday, joining California and Pennsylvania as the only U.S. states to do so. It’s a historic moment for the South Asian community in Connecticut.
Rosh Hashanah
We wish “Shanah tovah u’metukah,” or a good and sweet new year, to all Jewish people! Rosh Hashanah, meaning “the head of the year” in Hebrew, is one of the holiest days in Jewish culture. For the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jews reflect on past mistakes, apologize to those they have wronged, and remember loved ones who have passed away. In celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish Student Organisation (JSO) held a warm celebration in Mr. Taft’s dining room. Together, they ate apples dipped in honey to symbolise hope for a sweet year ahead. JSO’s activities head, Sadie Rothfleisch ’27, helps organize regular Shabbat dinners at Taft and hopes that more students, Jewish or not, will join in. She also plans to have a jelly donut sale (or feed!) for Hanukkah in December!
Hispanic Heritage Month
From September 15 to October 15 every year, the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month to honor the contributions of Hispanic culture. Bringing this spirit to Taft, Hailey Regalado ‘26 and other heads of Taft’s Hispanic affinity group, Somos, organised a Café con Pan brunch table in East Dining Hall. Upon announcing this event, Hailey received several emails from students who were curious about it and asked for more details. She says, “Seeing the number of people who saw the email and got excited to engage in our community was really powerful.” Café con Pan translates from Spanish to “coffee with bread.” Somos chose this because they wanted something lighthearted that would bring the community together. For many Hispanic people, having Café con Pan with family and friends is a nostalgic and comforting ritual. It allows them to hit pause in their busy schedule and appreciate the simple things in life, such as coffee and bread.
All affinity and alliance heads share a common goal: to celebrate their culture and share it with the Taft community. These groups put lots of thought and energy into giving us a glimpse of something really important to them. Together, they remind us of how fortunate we are to be surrounded by classmates, teammates, and dormmates with such diverse backgrounds. Let us continue celebrating and supporting each other by showing up to events like these!
