Do Air Academy High School students prefer building snowmen, baking cookies, putting lights up, decorating the Christmas tree, or watching well-known Christmas movies?

With the upcoming holidays, many AAHS students are celebrating traditions with their families during these special times. These traditions are customs or beliefs passed down from generation to generation in each family. Particularly, around the holidays, families come together to celebrate their faith, create memories, and be together.

The holidays are primarily about coming together by celebrating with special family traditions. Traditions like opening one present on Christmas Eve, playing Christmas games, cooking a special recipe, or even decorating houses with lights are all examples of holiday traditions. Families at AAHS have traditions that have been practiced for generations. 

“Every year with my family and I, we attend the night service at church, we are Christians and religion is very important in my family, especially during Christmas.” Picking a Christmas present to open on Christmas Eve and picking a cookie to bake has been a tradition in my family for many years. On New Year we make a special dinner to then celebrate the upcoming year,” sophomore Talia Dozer explained.

In comparison to holiday traditions, religion is also important to many families during the holidays. Christmas is known as Jesus’ birthday and by celebrating this holiday many people of the Christian faith go to mass and sing special Christmas hymns such as “Away in a Manger,” “The First Noel,” and “Mary’s Boy Child.”

These specific songs are sung in many churches throughout the country for Christmas. In addition to religious beliefs, many attend the night service on Christmas Eve where donations of money and food are given. The holidays are also about giving back to the less fortunate who are not able to afford holiday expenses for their families. 

“It’s the season of giving!” Dozer noted.

Along with holiday traditions and religion, many students decorate their homes both inside and outside. This decoration process includes putting up the Christmas tree, setting up bright lights, setting up stockings, putting up mini Christmas trees in bedrooms, and even elf on the shelves for little brothers and sisters. 

Decorating for the holidays plays an important part in spending time with family and making memories. It is not all about having the best-looking Christmas lights on the street but instead should be recognized as a way to spend time with family or even friends and enjoy the time at that moment.

Sometimes it may be laughing while almost falling by putting up lights or listening to Christmas music while putting up decorations or even seeing family members joyfully smiling when giving presents on Christmas morning. Every moment cherished should be enjoyed while in the moment. 

Families even have traditions by watching well-known Christmas movies such as “Home Alone”, “Elf”, and “The Grinch.”

“My family and I watch the same Christmas movie every year which is, Christmas Vacations. This is a very funny movie and my family and I enjoy watching it every year,” sophomore Logan Kramer mentioned. 

Each of these activities represents special traditions where each family celebrates their faith, creates memories, and enjoys time together.