Tis the season to start decorating and beginning different family traditions for Christmas, as it is right around the corner. Right after Thanksgiving, families begin rushing to get their decorating finished because they want to be in the holiday spirit as soon as they can. Though it is very fun to decorate, there is a lot of work to be done before Christmas day. Families often go out to buy a real evergreen tree, buy presents, take family photos, and go on vacation to various places. 

“My family starts decorating right after Thanksgiving because that is when the Christmas season officially begins. We buy a real ten foot tree that goes up into our living room,” said senior Jacob Conda.

After buying the tree, students begin to fill their homes with wreaths, ornaments and other festive decorations. Students find this time as a great way to relax and spend time with their families as the school is not allowed to assign homework over the break anymore.

“I really enjoy the time off from school as it is a time for me to relax and not stress about my classes and homework. I also really enjoy being able to spend time with my family and friends over the break because I can reconnect with family members and friends who I haven’t talked to in a while. I like to go shopping with them and do activities such as ice skating, present shopping and decorating,” said senior Eric Jung.

When break starts, many students travel both short and long distances to visit family members or to spend time with their family doing a fun activity. 

“We go [places] like when we went skiing last year, but [every break] we always go to a korean BBQ place,” said senior Paige Kasewanaketh.

After a month of preparing, Christmas Day finally approaches. Different families have different traditions as to what they do that day. Families either open their present in the morning, night or maybe even on Christmas Eve.

“The nine year and twelve year old wake up at 5:45 while the rest of the family tries to sleep in for another hour or two. When they finally force us out of bed, we then sit on the 20 degree floor of pour living room exchanging gifts beside the tree while anyone else above the age of 16 is half-unconscious,” saud senior Thomas Kang.