Stockton- As the semester comes to an end and finals begin, students across our campus are already thinking about the holidays and the traditions that make this season feel special. We have a very diverse group of students here at Lincoln High School, with many students celebrating many different holidays such as Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, as well as others who have their own holiday celebrations. For senior Jordan Ellis, she and her family are Jewish and Hanukkah is just around the corner! Their family enjoys “having a big family dinner on the first day of Hanukkah and we like to eat traditional Jewish dishes such as Latkes. We end the night by lighting the first candle on the Menorah and spend time together talking.” She went on to say how she loves that first day because of how special it is with her family.
This winter season fills students with joy and gratitude, and creating your own little traditions to make the season more fun is important for another senior, Vivian Holland, and her friends. “My friends and I created a tradition our freshman year where every year on the weekend before finals we would go walk the neighborhood near Meadow and see all the Christmas lights”. She went on to say that this tradition is very cherished among her friend group, as it makes them happy to see all the lights and spend quality time together before the stress that is finals week.
Others have traditions that might seem simple but hold deep meaning. Faith Bradley, a junior here on campus, says her favorite tradition happens late at night on Christmas Eve. “My siblings and I sit in the living room with hot chocolate and watch Home Alone and eat cookies,” she said. “We’ve been doing it since we were little. Even now that we’re older, and my older siblings are off in college, it’s nice to still share this moment with them because I don’t get to see them as much.”
Despite differences in culture or family traditions, students say the holidays are still a time of happiness. Whether they’re watching movies, or gathering around a kitchen table playing games, students carry their traditions with them to get through this busy academic time.
