It’s only been a couple of weeks since the end of Thanksgiving and people are already blasting Christmas music, hanging stockings, and decorating trees! But there are also AAHS students who do not celebrate Christmas getting into the spirit of their holiday, Hanukkah! Most people tend to focus solely on Christmas when it comes to winter break, but many celebrate their breaks with Hanukkah in mind.

Before diving into the depths of how people celebrate Hanukkah, let’s discuss what Hanukkah is about. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday and festival that spans over 8 days where families tend to reaffirm the history and ideals of Judaism, lighting a candle on the menorah each day.

But not all households celebrate this holiday the same as others. Some may celebrate with a more religious outlook while others celebrate it more for traditions and honoring ancestors.

“We tend to light the candles. We don’t really do very much other then that. Traditionally, you would be giving gifts every day but especially on the last day. My family is more of a mix between Judaism and Christianity because it comes from my mother’s side,” sophomore Paxton Klinker said.

“In my house, we celebrate holidays more to honor our ancestors’ traditions and in a less super religious way. We have a really abnormal Hanukkah tradition where we do necessity-type gifts every night. We light the Menorah and say the prayer. It’s super played back. Sometimes we’ll also cook traditional food, but not every night,” junior Genevieve stated.

Air Academy typically incorporates holidays like Christmas in their classrooms and lectures, so it would be fair to assume that our school also discusses and celebrates Hanukkah.

“What I’ve seen out of Air Academy is that it’s more diverse and it usually goes for all of them, so it probably will incorporate Hanukkah to some degree,” Klinker acknowledges.

That’s one of the ways someone can celebrate Hanukkah in their homes, but some students wish the Air Academy High School would incorporate the history and spirit of Hanukkah in our school more.

“I wish there was more education surrounding the Jewish history and beliefs built into our classrooms. I think you don’t notice it unless you aren’t Christian or super religious, but Christianity is mentioned a lot. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a Socratic seminar where the Bible wasn’t brought up,” Genevieve said.

While celebrating Hanukkah can be fun, spiritual, and educational, that’s not the only thing these students do on their break.

“During the holidays, my family always travels somewhere which I love. We aren’t really big on the whole gifting expensive things and instead, we put the money towards experiencing a new city or culture,” Genevieve exclaimed.

“Getting my finals all done and having snow days is my favorite part of the break,” Klinker cheered.

This is only one of the many ways Jewish students that go to Air Academy celebrate not only their breaks, but Hanukkah! With the knowledge of this holiday’s traditions celebrating all holidays are abundantly important for AAHS celebrations!