Right after Thanksgiving, and sometimes before, the Christmas madness starts. Entire neighborhoods become tourist meccas as people compete to have the best light shows. Stores pull out their seasonal decorations and load up their Christmas music. Black Friday is the signal for Christmas shopping to begin, and students start counting down the days until Christmas break. Although much of the hype surrounds Christmas, it’s not the only holiday celebrated this time of year, and as we draw closer to the end of the year, students here at Walkersville High School are looking forward to taking a break from school and spending time with family. Whether these holidays and festivities stem from religion celebrations or secular practices, whether the traditions are old or if they are new, they reflect the unique diversity that is Walkersville High School.
Christmas
Tanya says that she celebrates Christmas by spending the day with her family on the 24th of December. They play games and eat dinner together, and she says her favorite game her family has played is Secret Santa. She also loves to bake, decorate cookies for people, and create gingerbread houses with her cousins. Finally at midnight, her family opens presents.
Another student, Ally, is very busy throughout Christmas. “On Christmas Eve, there’s a party at my house with my family. We also go to church that day.” On Christmas she spends the morning with one side of her family to open presents, eat, etc. Then in the afternoon she does the same with the other side.
Guad says, “Sometimes we go to Argentina to celebrate there, other times we stay home and have just a small gathering.” She says that she loves the Christmas dinner they have, and also finds joy in decorating a tree and her house.
Ryder celebrates Christmas with his family. Usually he’ll have dinner with his family the night of the 24th, Christmas Eve. The next morning, they exchange gifts and spend time together.
Hanukkah
One student who celebrates Hanukkah said, “We usually celebrate by praying and singing while we light the candles on our Menorah every night.” Afterwards, their parents would give them and their siblings gifts. On some nights they eat dinner with their grandparents with different foods like potato latkes, brisket, and jelly donuts, which are similar to sufganiyah. They and their siblings also like to get each other gifts on one of the 8 nights of Hanukkah!
Kwanzaa
And while I couldn’t find any students to interview about Kwanzaa, I did research how this holiday is typically celebrated. I found that families will light a candle on each of the 7 days commemorating 7 principles, unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. On the final day there is a feast called Karamu.
Winter Solstice
This year the winter solstice falls on the twenty-first of December, and it’s celebrated all over the world. The winter solstice is the longest night and shortest day of the year in terms of daylight. It marks the end of fall and beginning of winter, and early pagan winter solstice traditions were created to celebrate the “birth of the sun.” People tend to spend this day differently depending on their location. Some brew mulled cider, while others light lanterns or meditate.
One student at Walkersville shared how she celebrates the arrival of winter: “We use the solstice as a way to celebrate and honor our ancestors, be thankful for our resources of the year, and pray for more throughout the winter.” She expressed how much food she and her family make for the holiday, as her whole family comes together to celebrate.
New Year’s Eve
The New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square, New York City is a global tradition that marks the official start of the new year, and many students stay up to wait for it, but a few go to sleep and wake up thinking about their new year’s resolution.
Lucy celebrates both Christmas and New Years Eve. She spends the 31st having a big party with her family and friends. As they all wait for the countdown to the New Year, this party is also a celebration of her mom’s birthday, which is the first of January. Sounds like double the fun!
Ivy told me about a tradition her family does for the New Year, “Every year, we write down ideals, things we want to complete in the next year, and then put them away to look at next year.” Overall, it’s a fun game her family plays, waiting to see how many of their resolutions they accomplished!
There are many more holidays that are held in December, all of which deserve recognition. These are just the ones I found while interviewing WHS students! No matter what festivities you partake in, everyone has a community and home at Walkersville. I hope everyone has a joyful December and happy holidays!
Did you know?
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is Dec. 7.
If you’re interested in knowing more about events in December, check out this list of Holidays and Observances in December by Carol Bainbridge.
You can also look at Ivy Karg’s article, all about how we celebrate in Frederick. Frederick’s Annual Celebrations Bring Cheer In Cold Months
