Christmas Activities

As the year comes to an end families from many cultures celebrate Christmas in their own way. The background meaning of Christmas can go back to religion or from your own belief. Christmas is memorialized in most parts of the world. For a majority of families in the United States it’s common to celebrate by giving gifts to loved ones, go see Christmas lights with hot cocoa, and decorate a Christmas tree that has a fresh pine cone scent, have elf on the shelfs, and many more traditions!

Some people don’t celebrate Christmas for many reasons like their religion or just what they believe but some people do celebrate Christmas but in their own way. There are also countries that don’t celebrate at all because it’s prohibited like Afghanistan, North korea, and so many more countries.

Further, we began to research how people celebrate Christmas around the world and asked students around campus how they celebrate Christmas.

Starting off with the Netherlands, It’s a holiday that the children see as “The most important day of December”, when Sinterklaas aka (St. Nicholas) brings the kids their presents! The origin of the name Santa Claus comes from Sinterklaas. The Netherlands holiday starts the first Saturday after November 11th. Sinterkklas comes from Madrid, Spain and every year in December he travels to a different part of the Neverlands so children in different parts of Neverland get to meet him. When he arrives ashore off the steamboat the local churches ring bells in celebration. While Sinterkklas is dressed in his red coat riding a white horse through the town.

The evening that Sinterkklas arrives at Neverlands, children leave one of their shoes by the fireplace or often the windowsill and sing Sinterkklas songs hoping that he will be coming in the night with some presents to give. The kids are told during the night while Sinterkklas is riding his white horse on the roofs that one of his piet (helpers) will climb down the chimney and put presents and/or candy in their shoe. Christmas in the Neverlands focus on traditions, the children, and loved ones.

We started to ask questions about people’s traditions and Christmas. We first talked to Nelly Escobedo, a freshman at Buena Park High School. She does celebrate Christmas, she celebrates Christmas by going out to another city and spending time with her family. Nelly makes traditional food with her family. Some of the food that they make is salads, chicken, tamales, punch, mashed potatoes and more. When we asked her what her favorite food is, she said “One of my favorite foods is tamales which is a Mexican food and it’s very good.” When we asked her if she had a favorite Christmas movie she said that her favorite Christmas movie is Santa Paws because she finds that movie very cute and heartwarming.

The best Christmas present Nelly has received is her cat Bean and her Max dog. She loves her pets and she thinks they are very adorable. One of the things that Nelly is looking forward to for Christmas is to spend Christmas in lake Arrowhead where there’s snow. One of the things that she misses about the holidays now that she’s older is that she doesn’t see her family too much because they are more busy and that they do different things. When we asked Nelly what was the meaning of Christmas to her she said “The meaning of Christmas is spending time with family and making this holiday really fun and great; also making wonderful memories with them and also celebrating the new year.”

Keila Fuentes, is a freshman at Buena Park High School. We started to ask some questions about Christmas. Keila does celebrate Christmas, she celebrates Christmas by making food and also gifting. Some of the traditions that she has are making food that they traditionally make every Christmas and in New year. Saying Merry Christmas and giving hugs at 12:00 am when it is a new year. The food that they make is tamales, pupusas, salads, chicken, and apple pie. Keila’s favorite Christmas movie is Home Alone because she thinks it’s a very interesting movie and she really likes it.

One of the best presents she has received is jewelry. When we asked her what she was looking forward to on Christmas she responded “I would like to spend time with my boyfriend and also have a really good time with my family and eat dinner.” One of the things that Keila misses is that when she was young she used to spend more time with family, uncles, cousins, and more other families but now they have been more busy and some of her family don’t celebrate it together. The meaning of Christmas for Keila is spending time with family, as a family gifting each other as appreciation.

Last but not least we talked to Maria Torres, a senior. Maria does celebrate the holiday christmas, but first she has the priority to work a shift at her job, then she comes, gets ready, and waits for her family to get home to give out everyone’s gifts together. Then after they go back to their rooms and eat. Maria’s tradition is making food with her family. Her family enjoys making tamales, pozole, birria, ribs, mashed potatoes, corn and snacks. Maria’s favorite Christmas movie is the night before Christmas because “it’s creepy and cute.” She’s looking forward to eating and spending time with her boyfriend.

The best present that she has revied was a 12 pack of fuzzy socks that her boyfriend gifted her. WHat she misses about the holidays when she was younger was not worrying about hard problems in life. The meaning of Christmas to Maria is to give gifts and receive.

We hope everyone had an amazing year, and we wish success on everyone. Happy Holidays!