As the chill creeps in the air, the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon fades into even more cinnamon, and the calendar finally hits November,  there’s one unanimous thing on every person and corporation’s mind: 

The holiday season.

The holidays are a prime time for a socialite, full of cozy gatherings and comfort. So what are Osbourn students up to for the holidays?

For some, they gather for religious ceremonies. “Well, we used to go to Church when I lived in New York,” senior Aaron Espiritu told me. “But now we usually just go to a party at a family member’s house.”

“There’s this one tradition we do every year on the 24th where we rock a baby Jesus to bed and then we pray.” senior Josue Hernandez explained. “When my family gets together on Christmas day, the person who invited everyone then has to hand out treats and candy bags to everyone.”

“The most special thing about Christmas in Ghana was my dad coming home and all of us celebrating together,” said sophomore Nana Kyei. “We all get together on Christmas day, sit at one big table and eat, then we give each other our presents.”

Throughout all of our history, there’s one thing that’s brought us all together: food. And when it comes to food, there’s endless options for families to fix.  “I like when we fix tamales and pozole,” Aaron Espiritu explains. “And I like to bake carrot cake. The most fun part of Christmas is cooking food with my mom and sister.”

“We make jollof, fufu, and you can’t go wrong with fried rice,” expressed Nana Kyei. “Of course, we’ve got candies!”

When it comes to the holiday season, the radio stations are dedicated to letting you know iiiiiiit’s tiiimmmeee!, but what other songs are there to enjoy? “Afehyia Pa by Ethel Eshun, and of course We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Nana Kyei listed. 

“I like Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano because it brings back memories from Mexico. I also like El Burrito Sabanero by Marco Pastor Estelles,” Aaron Espiritu reminisced. 

There’s certainly no shortage of Christmas songs for the holidays, and it’s no different with movies. Some watch the classics. “We really like to watch the Hispanic classics. I can think of one I really enjoyed, Selina,” said Josue Hernandez. 

“After we’re done eating, we like to watch romantic Christmas movies. I really enjoyed Falling for Christmas,” Aaron Espiritu expressed.

Sometimes, it’s not always about the Christmas vibes. Sometimes it’s just nice to enjoy something as a family. “I don’t know why, but we really like to watch Rick and Morty and Family Guy. We just watch a lot of cartoons. It’s kind of random,” Nana Kyei answered. 

Every holiday is special to each family for its own unique reason. Sometimes winter break is just about getting some good rest. Regardless of what the holidays mean to you– I wish every student, teacher, and staff to have a safe, happy break full of rest and recuperation in the wake of the Winter Solstice!