‘Tis the season to celebrate for students who celebrate Christmas differently than the rest. As a school with diversity, it is important to see the different ways these students celebrate. These students with different backgrounds are about to make this winter season better with what’s to come from what they explain what their Christmas is like for them and express the joy from what they would call their Christmas spirit.
Starting with Junior Anna Syhabout who celebrates by having a Christmas tree out and being together with family. Syhabout said
“We visit my grandma and celebrate with her,” Syhabout said.
How nice it is to be with loved ones during the holidays, especially those that are far away from home. Spending time with family is important to make moments and memories memorable even if it seems impossible to get along with them at the time. Although very common, spending time with family can be considered the most popular thing to do around Christmas bringing joy with Christmas gifts and the fest that comes with it. Leading to it being another upperclassman’s favorite thing to do.
“My favorite part has to be the Christmas lights and spending time with family because I feel like that’s what Christmas is about,” junior K said.
Although Christmas lights are fun, K believes that Christmas should be about family and it being about family is considered special for him as he said it to be one of his favorite parts of Christmas. That makes family as one of the gifts to receive in Christmas because it has been shown to bring joy and happiness among these students. Even though it may not be everyone’s favorite holiday to spend it with family, they do have traditions for it.
“We have this disgusting pickle ornament that my uncle hides on the tree and it’s a game to see who finds it first,” sophomore Rowan Murphy said. What a tradition Murphy has to start off the Christmas season to give him time to bond with his family even though he does not celebrate it personally.
Celebrating Christmas can be fun even if students don’t really celebrate it with their families, what really matters is being present in the moment with people these students love. Continuing on with traditions, this student even though they don’t do this anymore would love to share their old traditions.
“I used to help with cookies and mashed potatoes when I was younger,” sophomore L said. How beautiful it is to hear that that old tradition still warms their heart and can forever be a joyful memory for them to remember. Traditions can be very fun to do but food can also be fun to eat as this Christmas season will bring joy to our stomachs with the types of dishes these students eat or make during the holidays.
“We make pho or some sort of soup,” Syhabout said. This dish seems to be unique as most students don’t make soup for Christmas and like Syhabout, another student has “red velvet or black forest cake.” Rowan said. To enjoy their season with cake and soup which is good because it’s unique and makes them feel good to not be like everyone else even though it is recommended to try the “rolls and gingerbread houses,” L said.
During the Christmas holidays, however, Christmas music is also recommended.
“I just feel like a White Christmas is a Christmas way to go,” K said. Along with a classic artist, “Mariah Carey if you like her music,” L said. Classic Christmas songs can always bring a joyful feeling to all and is considered as another Christmas gift for all who enjoy the holiday tunes. Celebrating the holidays can also be recommended to be with friends when spending time with family is not the best way to celebrate Christmas.
“I’d recommend spending time with your friends since you might not be able to see them for a while if they live out of town,” L said.
The power of friendship can always come in handy when students feel alone on Christmas and cheer them up and even visit them to spend the holidays with them to even light up their Christmas spirit. Friendship can be considered to be a great gift for all who believe that their friends complete them in a way that their families can’t. Christmas gifts can be found in every home of a student whether that’d be with loved ones, traditions and food or even Christmas music to brighten up their Christmas spirit every Christmas.
