In my opinion, December is undoubtedly the best month of the year,” senior Andrew Hollinrake said. Who is currently celebrating the holiday by wearing Christmas outfits every Monday of Dec. to prepare for the holiday.
Many people love the holidays and each family creates their own traditions to celebrate and spend time together.
December is a huge time for the holiday’s and it gets everyone in a happy spirit to be with one another.
All religions are unique in their own way, and while they all have their own customs people still enjoy the traditions of the other religions as well.
Christmas takes place on Dec. 25, and leading up to this holiday, not only Christians but people enjoy getting ready for this special event.
Many people enjoy baking cookies, watching Hallmark movies, decorating trees, and so much more to get in the holiday mood.
“Every year my family gets a real Christmas tree and decorates it with ornaments and lights,” freshman Julie Ryterski said. Ryterski celebrates Christmas through the Catholic religion and also serves for her church every year at the 12p.m. Mass. These have been traditions she has had for many years and wishes to continue them for a very long time.
Getting a tree and decorating it is definitely a must during the holidays, and many have had this as a tradition for as far as people can remember.
Counselor Priscilla Greenwood looks forward to Christmas every year. Her family always goes and gets a Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. Along with many other traditions including having dinner and gift exchanges with family, opening a pair of pajamas on Christmas eve, and also attend church Christmas Eve. Greenwood has a two and a half year now and
“are incorporating some of our own traditions with her like having her set up the Nativity Scene and talking to her about why we celebrate Christmas,” Greenwood said.
A tradition she is starting this year and hoping to continue, is volunteering at a homeless shelter.
Freshman Peter Schaefer also enjoys Christmas with friends and family.
“On Christmas I always go to my aunt’s house and then also my grandma’s house and we have dinner. Also last year I did secret Santa with my friends and we are planning on doing it again this year,” Schaefer said. Secret Santa is a fun tradition that anyone can enjoy by a group of friends or family giving out fun gifts to each other anonymously
A fun ritual in the Jewish religion is on Christmas day getting Chinese food. Although many don’t know when this started, a lot of people join in on the tradition.
“My family always goes to both grandma’s houses and eat matzo ball soup, but also usually get Chinese food just to be basic Jews,” sophomore Allie Chervitz said.
Some Jewish and other non Christians enjoy their own rituals, and jumping in on Christmas traditions for fun.
“We do milk and cookies and the Hanukkah bush which is a little blue plastic tree we got a while ago that we put our presents under and we hang little stockings over the fireplace,” freshman Halle Tucker said.
While senior Divya Minnaganti doesn’t celebrate Christmas as a holiday religiously, she also loves the mood of the holiday.
“We decorate with Christmas lights, and we put up a Christmas tree. We also always have the Christmas station on and we watch all the movies and we love going to see light shows at various parks,” Minnaganti said.
Every year people get together not only for themselves but to help the people around them. Everyone loves their annual traditions during this time of year, the true meaning of these holiday’s are helping others and being with the people you love.
“On the holiday’s I look forward to being with my friends and family,” Schaefer said. Which most people enjoy during this time of year.
However, a thing that many students look forward to about the holidays for and would also agree with Chervitz and Schaefer,
“I look forward to a break off of school.”