The meaning of Christmas

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Contribuido por Bertha Martinez.

La familia de Bertha Martinez camina de casa en casa. Realizan la “Posada,” la historuia de Maria y Maria y José.

Micah Walker and Erin Curran, Reporters

Christmas always seems to be one of the most celebrated holidays of the year. From preparing special foods, putting up Christmas trees and nativity scenes to exchanging gifts and spending time with family and friends, many SHS students participate in special traditions that make their holiday more enjoyable.  

Junior Bertha Martinez celebrates Christmas twice, once with her immediate family, and then again with her extended Hispanic family. On Christmas Eve, she celebrates at home by having a special dinner and opening presents that night. On Christmas Day, she goes to her aunt’s house where they exchange gifts and spend time with the extended family.

“At my aunt’s house we have Niño, like Jesus, and we pass the baby around saying what we want for Christmas. Then we sing songs and pray,” Martinez said.

Although many people focus on the hustle and bustle of the holiday, such as decorating, shopping, and preparing for Santa to come, there are some who focus more on the religious aspect of Christmas.

According to senior Biak Sui, attending church is an important part of her Christmas celebration.  

“I go to church. We have a service for like 2 hours. After that, we have dinner together with our church. At night we have a gospel concert, a talent show, singing and a fashion show,”  Sui said.

According to Sui, her family does not participate in all of the typical American traditions. While others receive presents and focus on Santa, her family enjoys caroling around their neighborhood.

Christmas is a big event in many countries. For exchange student,  junior Sofia Patrone, this statements holds true. According to Patrone, decorating is a big part of her Christmas celebration.

“When December starts, we begin decorating immediately. We usually decorate our streets with lights, signs, and Santas climbing houses,” Patrone said.

Christmas is such an important event for them that they even get a day out of school for decorating their trees and nativity scene.

It usually seems like many families spend Christmas Day doing activities with the ones they love in their own home. A typical day for Americans may be waking up early to open presents, having a family breakfast and dinner.  Every moment is a family moment.

Senior Romell Phillips spends Christmas day primarily with his family, which is something that he values very much.
“For Christmas, everybody in my family wakes up and we eat french toast together. We all pick one present out the day before,” Phillips said.

Everyone in his family spends time in the house opening gifts and putting what they got away, celebrating the time that they have together.

Christmas is a holiday celebrated around the world in many different ways. Each tradition or activity is what makes Christmas special for each individual. Whether you say  ‘Feliz Navidad,’ ‘Buon Natale,’ or ‘Merry Christmas,’ it all means the same thing, but all have a different significance to each individual.