Traditions are essential for every holiday. Whether it’s decorating the Christmas tree, or lighting the Menorah, traditions have been cherished for centuries, and years to come. There are so many memorable ways to celebrate the season. As the Holiday season approaches, let’s see what the teachers at HHS are doing to celebrate!
Hawthorne High School’s English teacher, Mr. Cao stated that his favorite holiday tradition is hosting his annual Christmas party every year.
“I love to cook a bunch with my mother and decorate the house for my uncle and cousins to come over and celebrate!” Mr. Cao explained.
Next stop, in the History department, The Clarion asked Mr. Harty what his favorite holiday tradition is.
Mr Harty told the Clarion, “ My favorite holiday tradition is the yearly dishes I get to indulge in with my family at every meal. At dinner we enjoy some dishes such as Potatoes au Gratin and Shepherd’s Pie. On the eve the night before we always have a long braised pork shoulder. At breakfast the day of, we tend to have a variety of fruits, some fried eggs, and some breakfast meats.”
My Harty went on to explain, “My personal favorite is the Norwegian Waffles, which comes from a homemade recipe that has been passed down from my great grandmother. I have always felt like food is a great expression of the soul and a great way to get people to express themselves and I really think that shines through at the many seated meals that occur over the holidays!”
The Clarion then asked, Hawthornes Journalism Teacher, Mr Van Winkle, what his favorite holiday tradition of the season is, to which he responded, ” My favorite holiday tradition is the grab bag gifts that my family normally does on Christmas Day. Before my family opens up the rest of the presents under the tree, we do our annual grab bag tradition. We each spend 25 dollars a person, and it’s really fun because we usually give funny gifts.”
Mr Van Winkle then explained his strategic present ideas for this year, such as purchasing a blanket with pictures of his face printed all over it.
When Hawthorne’s Italian teacher Ms. Barbetta was asked how she celebrates the Holiday season, she answered, “ My favorite tradition when celebrating the holidays is having a nice meal, and celebrating with my friends.”
Following Ms. Barbetta’s statement, Ms. Hansen from the school’s math department added, “My favorite holiday tradition is spending Christmas Eve with all of my cousins, aunts, and uncles.”
Ms. Hansen recalls all of the Christmas Eve’s spent with her family in their basement playing a white elephant gift exchange. “We pack into a little basement that ends up filled with laughter! We always play white elephants with gifts that range from blankets and candy to hilarious gag gifts like a broken old flip phone. I have so many great memories of Christmas Eve spent together and getting to enjoy the holiday with loved ones.” Ms. Hansen explained.
As you can see, there are so many remarkable ways to celebrate the holidays! Spending time with friends, and family can always bring joy into the most wonderful time of the year. With yummy foods on your dinner table, and exchanging laughter and presents with the ones you love, just shows that holiday traditions will forever hold magic within them for you to experience. Traditions are forever timeless! Hopefully, this article can inspire you to make new memories and traditions with your loved ones!