Lighting the menorah, setting up the Christmas tree, baking treats, singing festive songs; traditions are being brought out as the holidays start.
People have holiday traditions that they share with their families. Some traditions are very common; baking cookies for example. Other traditions are very family specific, like the tradition Sophomore Jazmin Colon’s family has.
“On New Years to ensure that we travel a lot in the next year, we grab our suitcases and run around the block,” Colon describes. Her aunt introduced the idea to her family about three years ago. “We started [it] because we hadn’t traveled as much as we wanted to. It seems to work because after waiting for so long, our family was able to get passports. My stepdad, after 20 years, was finally able to go to Guatemala.”
Another aspect of this tradition is the humor that accompanies it. “It’s actually really funny to see someone run around with his suitcase in the neighborhood. It gave me a memory I won’t forget.”
Colon thinks she’ll carry this tradition on with her own family in the future: “Traveling is one of the best things you can do for yourself.”
Sophomore Naomi Cuzmar has a holiday tradition that takes place a little closer to Christmas. “We open our presents on Christmas Eve and then we eat our foods.” Some of the dishes… (To read the rest of this story, pick up a copy of The Hawkeye from the newsstand near the front office or the media center)