Christmas is known as the “most wonderful time of the year,” but everyone has a different reason why Christmas is their favorite time of the year. Every family has different Christmas traditions and a different way to celebrate. The Green and Gold asked around Wesleyan to see what some of these different traditions are.
Sophomore Sofia Vallejo:
What is your Christmas tradition?
“My grandma comes to our house and we cook Christmas dinner together. We celebrate it on the 24th at midnight, so we sleep through the day and listen to music, dance and unwrap presents all at midnight.”
What food do you and your family eat?
“We make natilla, which is like custard and tamales which is a meat dish wrapped in corn husks.”
Sophomore Nishu Afobunor:
What is your Christmas tradition?
“To celebrate Christmas, my family usually puts up the lights around the house on the roof. And we connect them around all the corners. We also throw a huge party to invite all our family and friends over. My sisters and I always create a nativity scene with home-made objects using marbles, rubber bands and cardboard. It’s very entertaining and gets the whole family involved.”
What food do you and your family eat?
“My mom always bakes a huge one- layered Christmas cake. Usually one of our family friends’ always gets us a huge popcorn box filled with butter and honey flavor which we all share and eat. We also eat home- made pasta, fried rice, my native dish “Joloff rice” and a bunch of other meals as well.”
Senior Emily Sabonis-Chafee:
What is your Christmas tradition?
“We go on Christmas Adam (the day before Christmas Eve) and drive around the neighborhood with spice drops and look at all the Christmas lights and listen to Christmas music. Then, on Christmas morning we wake up at 5 a.m. in the morning and open presents from Santa one by one. Then, get ready and go to my grandmother’s house.
What food do you and your family eat?
“On Christmas morning, we have cider and biscuits. For lunch, we have the classic ham and everything”
Sophomore Jared Wildermuth:
What is your Christmas tradition?
“On Christmas Eve, the adults open their presents, then the kids open presents on Christmas morning.”
What food do you and your family eat?
“We have special cookies and a chocolate pudding along with the typical Christmas dinner.
Junior Leandro Haddad:
What are you Christmas traditions?
“We go to Canada and have a huge dinner and celebrate with the family. It’s a good time to be happy and chill out with my family. We keep Christmas drama-free, compared to how dramatic we normally are.”
What food do you and your family eat?
We eat a bunch of Lebanese food. Most of my family is Lebanese, so we eat just a vast assortment of food.
Junior Melina Haralabakis:
What are your Christmas traditions?
“Decorating a Christmas tree which represents the Light of the World (again symbolizing Baby Jesus). The presents under the tree symbolizing all the presents that were brought to Christ by the wise men as well as so many that came to see the Savior. We also celebrate the name Christ. Everyone who is named Chris, Christina, and all names alike celebrate their name day!”
What food do you and your family eat?
“We eat Lahano Dolmades; chopped beef with spices wrapped in cabbage for Christmas Eve. This symbolizes Baby Jesus being wrapped in a blanket when he was born. We also bake Greek cookies called koulouriakia, melomakaronia; clove & cinnamon cookies dipped in honey and kourabiades; they are butter cookies covered with confectionary sugar symbolizing Baby Jesus being born Christmas time.”
