The Jesuit community makes winter-time special through many different holiday celebrations. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or otherwise, you form memories and personal traditions. A common theme among the different traditions: fun with family and friends.
For a lot of people, the holiday season is when families come together–whether from near or far–and take time to reconnect. With school and work, we all have busy lives, but the time to slow down and spend quality time with loved ones can’t be taken for granted.
Junior Lizzie Dellit’s favorite tradition is getting cozy and watching “The sound of music” while drinking hot cocoa with her family every year. Her sisters come home from college and they all get to catch up.
“We started the tradition when we moved here about thirteen years ago. It’s a real bonding moment,” Dellit said.
The day after Christmas, some celebrate Boxing Day. At the root of this celebration is giving to those who have helped you in any way, and it is most commonly celebrated with Christmas dinner leftovers and partying.
Senior Alice Radford-Brown has family in England who celebrate in a bigger way, as Boxing Day is a government mandated holiday in the UK, but she celebrates with her immediate family by going to a British themed pub in Portland.
“It’s sort of a national holiday for family reunion and keeping the celebrations going,” Radford-Brown said.
As for many, family members travel to reunite for the holidays, and Boxing Day is a way to prolong the visits and fun.
For senior John Francisco, Christmas means the whole family gets together and makes lots of tamales. On Christmas Eve, everyone takes turns saying a prayer of what they are thankful for every five minutes until midnight. Then at midnight, they open presents.
“Family is the main part of it,” Francisco said.
When she was younger, senior Ana Casado celebrated Día de Los Reyes on the sixth of January. In remembrance of the three kings who brought gifts to Baby Jesus, kids wake up in the morning to find presents and candy from “Los Reyes Magos” (The Three Kings).
That night families get together and eat “Rosca De Reyes”, which is a round bread with one almond. Whoever gets the piece with the almond becomes the guest of honor.
“I really love celebrating this part of my culture because it always brings my family together and we are able to reminisce on childhood memories,” Casado said.
From December seventh through the fifteenth, Jack Goldstein ‘25 will celebrate Hanukkah with his family. He looks forward to a gift from his grandma each of the days and Challah bread.
Celebrating Hanukkah, as well as other Jewish holidays, helps connect and strengthen the local Jewish community. A leader of Jewish Student Union, Goldstein is hoping to have a Dreidel spinning competition at school to “invite non Jews into what Hanukkah might look like for a Jewish person.” The age old dreidel game involves betting pieces, then spinning, and acting based on the Hebrew symbol it lands on.
Whether Hanukkah or Christmas is your personal tradition, it’s clear that the holidays bring family and friends together to make joyful memories. Cherish these moments and have a happy holiday Jesuit.
