Several countries besides the U.S. practice the tradition of decorating their homes with lights during the holiday season, but many international students could not fathom the immensity of the lights at the Chickasha Festival of Lights.

On Friday, OU Cousins took a trip to the Chickasha Festival of Lights, as did other international students Saturday evening.

Jonas Knoll, a first-semester exchange student from Paderborn, Germany, said he thought the lights were really good, despite the cold weather he endured at the festival.

“We have Christmas lights in Germany, but not that many,” he said.

Knoll also said he enjoyed hanging out with his OU Cousin, Tom Pederson, and with Tom’s friends.

“I would say it [OU Cousins] has helped a bit [getting to know American culture],” Knoll said. “The problem is that Tom isn’t exactly the average American. He was born in Japan and spent some years in Germany.”

Pederson, accounting sophomore, said he and his cousin decided to go to the lights Saturday evening, rather than Friday evening with the OU Cousins’ group, because he already knew some friends going Saturday.

“He had fun, as far as I know,” Pederson said. “I don’t think Christmas lights are done nearly to that degree in Germany.”

Pederson said he spends a few hours every other week or so with his OU Cousin, and they have attended two or three of the events with OU Cousins this year.

“It has been good,” Pederson said. “We’ve really connected and we relate well. I used to live in Germany. We can both relate to both German and American culture, and we speak German together sometimes; I guess it’s more of a practice for me than it is for him.”

Pederson said he thinks OU Cousins was a great idea.

“It’s a lot of fun getting to meet someone from another country and seeing how they view what is really normal and get another perspective,” Pederson said.

Michael Nash, entrepreneurship and marketing junior and student director for OU Cousins, said they had 100 students sign up to go to the Festival of Lights in Chickasha this year.

“Exposing international students to American culture is the direction we have moved this year, with the pumpkin carving, Thanksgiving dinner and Festival of Lights,” Nash said.

He said they try to make sure all of the events they plan get students involved in the OU Cousins program, both international and American.

“There were several students that had never seen so many lights in one place before,” Nash said.

Nash said the things we’ve become accustomed to in America are usually things that international students have never experienced before.

“Our main goal is to create an atmosphere where international and American students can interact with each other,” Nash said. “It’s a good time to just let loose and enjoy [the Festival of Lights] before finals.”