Christmas Celebrations Blend Traditions and Memories

The day after Thanksgiving not only marks Black Friday but for most people it officially marks the start of the Christmas season! Other than the presents, cookies, and decorations, most people often look forward to their favorite family traditions and memories. Christmas brings about memories of the past that give warm feelings to those during the holidays along with traditions that have lasted for years, which are looked forward to all year.

Some Seattle Prep students look forward to getting out of Seattle for the break and being surrounded by family. In sophomore Grace Foley’s case, it’s the beach! Grace travels with her dad’s side of the family to Hawaii every Christmas season to celebrate the holiday among family and warm weather. Grace States, “this is where we make most of our memories together.”

While vacations can be memorable, for some students it is the “stay-cations” that bring back their favorite Christmas memories. Sophie McDowall ’21 remembers her brothers’ reactions to a Christmas surprise gone wrong. When they did not get the X-box they had been begging for, they started crying, but after making their way downstairs later that day, to their surprise, an X-box had already been set up. She laughs and says, “This was so funny because they were so shocked and surprised they started screaming and hugging each other which does not happen very often.”

Grace Foley ’21 shares her favorite memory from the days leading up to Christmas with her friend when they built gingerbread houses and blasted Christmas music all night long. She shares that this is her favorite Christmas memory because “it was a time when I let go of all my stress and had fun. I loved blasting Christmas music, and we sang our hearts out.”

These Christmas memories are what bring out the unexpected and the best in people. However, Christmas is not just about looking back at past holiday memories but also the anticipation of looking forward to student’s favorite traditions.

Spanish teacher Señor Martin shares his favorite childhood tradition was putting his shoe under the Christmas tree as a cultural celebration, hoping that a gift from God would be there the next morning. As he recalled what it was like to be a child on Christmas morning, he exclaimed, “Like most children, I anticipated and dreamed of what I would find, and the best gift I recall getting was a remote-control car and a Tonka truck.”

It is clear that a tradition is worth keeping when it sticks with someone for their whole life, and it excites Señor Martin when he sees his nieces and nephews are being raised celebrating this tradition as well. He shares, “It always takes me back to my childhood when I observe these traditions at the homes of my siblings with children.”

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year, and it is hard to stop and take a moment to examine the beauty of the holiday season. Christmas memories and traditions are one of the best ways to slow down and laugh about the past, look forward to the future, and enjoy life during the holidays.