Christmas is almost upon us. Toys are in every store and holly adorns the front doors of Hubbard homes. Everyone has holiday traditions and the people of Hubbard High have a plethora of them. Food, family, and culture are all huge parts of our lives.

Food

Many traditions people have involve foods of all sorts. Whether it be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anything in between, all kinds of foods are eaten on this joyous occasion. Noelle Cheney, a 9th grader, has a very unique tradition she calls Thanksmas. “It is a mix of Christmas and Thanksgiving. It is one of the ways our family gets to spend the holidays together. I get to see all of my cousins and aunts and uncles that I rarely see so it is a lot of fun.” A lot of people also bake delicious desserts. Luke Wack has a sweet dish that is traditional in his family. “We make Kolachi, whose recipe was written by my great aunt who was the daughter of a polish immigrant.”

Trees

A Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a Christmas Tree. It acts as a centerpiece for all holiday activities, and this was reflected in what people said. For example, many people described how their family goes out and gets a Christmas tree every year. Sophomores Maddox, Brady, and Talan Ifft have a live tree, saying, “Every year we go to the tree farm and cut down our family Christmas tree.” For a lot of people, decorating the tree is half the fun. Thomas Peachock, a Junior at Hubbard, is one of these people. “My family decorates the tree together, and we have Christmas Eve dinner with our family.”

Family

However, the true spirit of Christmas is family. That’s what gives the special day its character. Everyone does so much with their family. For instance, people visit with their family. Lucas Manzo is one person who does. He told me, “I go to church with my family every Christmas Eve and then go over to my cousin’s house to celebrate the holiday festivities.” Families may also give gifts to each other to show their appreciation of one another. Crystal Housel has a unique gift giving practice. She said, “On Christmas Eve my family always gets to open one present.” 

Christmas is clearly such a wonderful holiday. So many people celebrate in so many different ways. It creates a truly unique atmosphere and mood seen at no other time of the year. What do you do to celebrate Christmas?