As the holiday season begins, many students look forward to celebrating with their favorite traditions. From building gingerbread houses to going caroling, there is a wide variety of ways to celebrate this time of year.
With all of the festivities surrounding the season, students were polled on their favorite of the holiday traditions. The favored holiday tradition was decorating the Christmas tree with a total of 48 responses.
Sophomore Kellen Foster explains why decorating the Christmas tree is his favorite holiday tradition.
“I get to have fun scattering the beautiful shining ornaments across the green soft, but prickly branches. I set up my tree with my family and we all drink eggnog together after admiring the final result,” Foster said.
When decorating the Christmas tree, students are able to add their own personalization by hand placing every ornament. For many, each ornament is special and holds a unique memory.
Foster then goes on to share what his favorite ornament is and the importance behind it.
“My favorite ornament is probably the star; it’s just an old plastic one but it has always been there. It represents consistency and the importance of traditions and remembering who we are,” Foster said.
Students’ second most voted holiday festivity was watching holiday movies with a total of 26 votes.
Senior Mattie Robinson shares why watching holiday movies with her family is her most loved way to spend the holiday season.
“I love watching Christmas movies with my family, because it brings us together to watch something that we all enjoy,” Robinson said.
With such a variety of movies to choose from, Robinson continues by expressing her favorite holiday movie.
“I like watching Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas. It has been my favorite movie to watch ever since I first watched it,” Robinson said.
Having 24 responses, baking Christmas cookies was voted as the third most popular holiday tradition.
Freshman Jennifer Blackburn was one of the students who voted baking Christmas cookies as her favorite holiday tradition. Baking can be a great way to bring friends and family closer. She elaborates on who she enjoys baking with.
“When I bake for the holidays my mother and best friend join in and we are all together,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn then goes on to express the types of cookies she likes to bake and just how she makes them festive.
“I love to bake chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies. For the sugar cookies, we use sprinkles to make them look like Christmas trees or Santa,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn followed up by including who she loves to bake for.
“I love baking for my friends and family but with the leftovers I hand them out to the homeless in Clifton Forge,” Blackburn said.
While baking for the ones closest to you can be fun, delivering baked goods to those in need can also bring a smile to a person’s face.
Each individual tradition has its way of bringing friends and families together. As seen every holiday season, there are constantly new traditions created, though some traditions never change.
