Every year around the holidays, a lot of students at our school get together with their families and uniquely celebrate the holidays. Some of our students and staff have some unique traditions:

Ms. Farrell

“[From] the day after Christmas ‘till after New Years, we go up to Wisconsin; we have this house that my parents own and we cram 15-20 people in it. All we do is eat, listen to Christmas music on repeat, and go snowmobiling. It’s amazing and very relaxing. We put all of our phones away, no one is really watching TV, we just play games, and have lots of family time.”

Rebecca Sandoval

 “My family does Posadas which is [where] half of my family goes outside of my house and half of them stay inside. Then we sing this song that my family has. Also, we make up our own Family Feud-type questions, and two of my family members, usually the kids, [are] judges and everyone else has their separate teams.”  

Jackie Zurow

 “So for Thanksgiving, [my family] all goes to a restaurant so that no one has any pressure, and it is really nice, cute and mellow. For Christmas, my family hosts it, and we have fish, pierogi and a bunch of Polish food. We hang out for hours and we just sit and talk; I love my family traditions”  

Anna Jamiolkowska

“Every Christmas Eve, my mom makes 12 courses that don’t include meat. We sit down once we see the first star in the sky, then we pray and eat. We have to eat everything from the 12 courses. Next, my brothers and I go upstairs, my parents get the presents out because my little brother still believes in Santa. After that, we come downstairs, open our presents and we just hang out.”

Santiago Conde

 “Every two years, since my family is all spread over the world, we meet at a family member’s house. We started this tradition in Canada, where my grandparents live, and it is usually for Christmas. We went to Columbia last year. It is something that is really important to my family.”  

Taylor Harte

“When my grandpa was here, we would have these napkin fights after Christmas dinner. I have no idea how it started; it is a fun and funny tradition we have.”  

Brianna Bolotin

“My family does a white elephant gift exchange, and we all buy something that has to do with Jesus Christ. It’s really funny, like we have had Jesus soap, bird feeders—its weird stuff.”

Matthew Jay

“My family lights the Hanukkah candles, and I have a Menorah that I got in Israel that we use. I open gifts, give them to my cousins, and I always find days that I give cards to family.”