The holidays are a wonderful time for all, with the long break and getting finals off your chest. Many people associate the holidays with excitement, joy and relief. 

For some the holidays signify something deeper, a time where you get together with your family and friends and bond, with people who we love and who love us back. For some it signifies a spiritual being like God, Allah, Jesus or anything/anyone else you might believe.

Going to church and celebrating Jesus’ birth is a tradition that many Christians keep close to their heart. Celebrating Jesus’ birth is a big part of Christian religion and is something that greatly defines what many see as a typical Christmas. 

“Though I’m not the most religious on Christmas, a big part of my family traditions is going to church.” Sophomore Jordan Rake said. 

And for some it’s a sense of pride to be able to say that their religion is a big part of their love for the holidays. A time to spend with something they believe deeply and something that everyone around them also believes. 

Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles. Though Hanukkah happens the same time as Christmas many don’t know much about the holiday. But for some students and teachers at Santa Fe this is a monumental part of their break. 

“Some of my favorite traditions I do with my family is eating greasy foods to symbolize the oil of the lasting temple of Israel” Sophomore Ada Goldman said. “It’s also customary to light up your house and put Menorah’s (a seven branched candle that is associated with Judaism) in your window to share light with the world.” 

But for some people it’s not as much spiritual and more about how you can spend this holiday united with people who you may not get along with all the time. A time to mend rifts that the year created or put aside old rifts that the year couldn’t mend. 

 To spend it with family you might not always see and you might not always get along with. And for some it’s the basic everyday things that make this break worthwhile. Something you might always do but tradition and habits make it special. 

“My favorite thing that me and my brothers and uncles do is play Call of Duty on Christmas” Sophomore Alex Mankiller said. “Christmas is really the only time all of my brothers and my uncles are in the same room to laugh and play Call of Duty together”. 

So whether that’s playing Call of Duty and laughing with your loved ones, or lighting the Menorah with your family, to going to church and celebrating the things you believe. The break is special for people in their own ways and is something we students look forward to at the end of the semester.