With the end of first semester right around the corner, students are looking towards their next two weeks of rest and holiday festivities. Through their own traditions and celebrations, many students reflect on their past and connect with their loved ones over winter break.

Throughout December, junior Marion Ivy goes to church to celebrate Advent, a four week celebration leading up to Christmas. Each Sunday, a meaningful word is introduced at the service to guide their members through the week.

“[Nov. 30] was Sunday, and [the word] was hope,” Ivy said. “It’s really just [a] helpful reminder every year, and it reminds you to be hopeful.”

Although many celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, other students recognize the holiday on a different day in accordance with their Christian denomination.

“[In the] Serbian Orthodox Church, we follow a Gregorian calendar, so that puts us 13 days ahead of Dec. 25” sophomore Masa Savic said. “We celebrate on January 7th.”

During the winter season, members of other religious groups celebrate their iteration of the holidays. Freshman Aaron Halpern and his family celebrate Hanukkah.

“One of the main things is lighting the candles. You say a prayer, and every night, you light one candle. In total, there’s eight candles,” Halpern said.

Though Hanukkah is celebrated, it isn’t the most important holiday in the Jewish religion.

“Hanukkah’s really not known as an important holiday. It’s not even top three…it’s only important because of how it falls near Christmas,” senior Rory Friedberg said.

With these diverse celebrations, long-standing and unique cultural traditions also present themselves among different families.

“We have a tradition where you take bread, and there’s one coin in the middle. Whoever gets the piece of coin has good luck for the new year to come. That’s just a tradition that’s been in place for so many years,” Savic said.

Additionally, there are families who implement their own unique traditions around the holidays, creating a sense of identity and individuality. Some traditions can be as simple as opening presents on Christmas morning, while others are more complex, each with their own personalized meaning.

“On Christmas Day, when we wake up, we hide a pickle ornament. Whoever finds the pickle ornament gets the extra present that we have on the side,” sophomore Hailey Masterson said. “It’s something I’m always waiting for. It makes me excited to actually find it.”

Not all of these traditions take place on Christmas Day, however: some happen at other times as well.

“[During] the first snow after Christmas, we go to the beach, and we all just throw sand and snow at each other,” sophomore Mia Terfler said.

The holidays mean something different to everyone. For some, it means spending time with family and friends; for others, it may simply represent the end of the month. Whatever the reason may be, the holiday season holds an important purpose for several students.

“For me, it means spending time with family, getting closer to God and understanding tradition and culture,” Savic said.

Whether it be Christmas on Dec. 25 or Jan. 7 or a different celebration altogether, the meaning of the holidays hold great importance.

“[Hanukkah] means being grateful for my family. I’m grateful that they’re there and [that] we can celebrate this together and exchange gifts,” Friedberg said.