With Thanksgiving already past, the holiday season is definitely upon us. Stores are rolling out their string lights, Christmas trees, and seasonal candy like peppermint bark and candy canes. ‘’Tis the season’ for purchasing presents, warming up with a cup of hot cocoa, and reuniting with family. The Christmas season is upon us, and is it’s time to rejoice, right?

Yes, in that it is certainly a perfect time to celebrate and get together with family. However, students here at Freedom have many ways of participating in the holidays. Some people partake in the traditional Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

“We usually get together with my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and we eat dinner, which is filled with delicious foods that could leave you in a food coma for days. Latkes, which is a pancake made with grated potato, is one of the popular options at dinner,” said sophomore Natasha Eriksen.

The practice of giving gifts is certainly not unique to Christmas. The exchanging of gifts each night during the eight day holiday is a favorite part for many students.

“I enjoy getting the gifts. It’s pretty cool to get eight days of gifts from my parents, because every day it gets better! That and the candle lighting are my two favorite parts about Hanukkah,” said Eriksen.

Others enjoy the quality time with family and friends.

“My favorite part is spending time with my family and opening presents,” said Matthew Koller, sophomore.

Some students combine cultural and religious traditions to participate in Christmas as well as Hanukkah.

“I celebrate both. We go all out for Christmas, but we also do some stuff for Hanukkah. We eat latkes and we light the candles on the menorah each night,” said Evan Tiller, sophomore.

Regardless of how you choose to spend these winter holidays, be sure to enjoy the briefly chilly Florida weather, the rest from school during Winter Break, and your favorite seasonal items.