Many different families and religions and cultures have different and similar cultures that they celebrate during the holidays. One holiday is Christmas. From Christmas songs on be radio, to stockings on the fireplace, Christmas is a holiday that brings family together.

 Another holiday is hanukkah. This holiday celebrates eight days and nights of light in the Jewish culture. Each night children get one present to open and light another candle on the Menorah. This year Hanukkah started on Christmas Eve and ended on New Year’s Day.

There are so many different traditions celebrated by so many different religions it is impossible to name them all. Many students at Newport Harbor have their own activities that have become a routine this time of the year. Mathew A. shares that, “A tradition is that I go over to my cousins house and I usually travel to New York or Arizona.” Not only do people celebrate traditions for their religion around the holidays, families also have their own personal family traditions to uphold.  Another student, Sammi Nowak says that, “My favorite holiday tradition is on Christmas Eve when my whole family gets together at my grandparents house and we have our traditional dinner and make creme brûlée, it’s a great time to spend with my extended family and I love it!” Similarly Elizabeth Miner says, “On Christmas Eve I go to my aunt’s house and we open presents at midnight and I also make cookies with both my grandma’s on Christmas.” There are a variety of ways to celebrate, Kiersten Comp shares how her family does, “On Christmas Eve I go to my aunt’s house and have a Swedish celebration. We all get pajamas and then on Christmas Day my family wakes up, open presents, and watch Christmas Vacation.”

Everyone has different traditions. Whether they travel up to Big Bear or open presents with family, or just relax around the house during our two week vacation, everyone enjoys the break. That is  until they remember the homework they have been procrastinating. Despite the mild damper homework puts on vacations, here at the Beacon we hope everyone enjoyed the break just as much as we did.