For many students, Christmas is a chance to take a break from school, possibly pick up a seasonal job to earn some extra money and time to spend with loved ones.
Popular holiday customs include exchanging gifts, decorating the Christmas tree, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, for children, waiting for Santa to arrive.
“I enjoy going home for the holidays,” said senior Sasha Yancy. “I have four brothers and sisters so on Christmas Eve we stay up all night playing games and bonding. In the morning we always look forward to opening gifts and eating a big breakfast. My auntie always makes the best cinnamon biscuits. I’m from Cleveland, so we catch the train downtown and go shopping and then come back home for dinner. Now that I’m older, I can enjoy drinking and going out on New Year’s with family and friends who are also in town for the holidays.”
“For me, it’s important to be with family during this season,” freshman Jafar Alnasser said.“I’m an international student from Saudi Arabia. My whole family eats together and goes out to the beach during the holidays.”
Every year people send thousands of cards out to family and friends for the holidays, but nothing beats actually being with them and sharing special traditions.
“Of course on Christmas morning we look forward to opening gifts,” said senior Jake Litteral. “But we also play this game (mostly for children now) called search for the pickle in the tree. Over at my grandma’s house, she has a huge Christmas tree and the adults hide a pickle in it. Whichever child finds the pickle first gets an extra Christmas gift.”
“I enjoy getting new P.J.’s every Christmas Eve,” sophomore Haley Bray said.
“After the normal family gathering on Christmas Eve we always watch ‘Santa Claus: The Movie,’” sophomore Abbie Mangan said. “We wake up Christmas morning and open gifts, go to my grandmas, where we meet up with other family members and open more gifts. My mom always stuffs our stockings with chocolate, which I love. For New Years dinner my mom always makes sauerkraut and we have to eat a spoonful for good luck.”
“I love watching ‘The Polar Express’ during this time. I watch it every Christmas,” freshman Katie Tucker said.
For other students Christmas is about spending time with their family and putting up with them.
“I look forward to eating together with my family, “Graduate student Kevin Dorney, said. “Only tradition we have is drinking; it’s the only way we can all be around each other.”
