Happy holidays Warriors! As we countdown the days until the much needed break, the mighty eleven stories are being filled with holiday spirit. It really is the “most wonderful time of the year,” and the excitement is evident everywhere. The winter months are filled with holidays: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, New Years, and more. And there is nothing our students love more than a chance to celebrate. Some people are a sucker for traditions but not all traditions are exactly “traditional.” 

Although waking up to a white Christmas is not something most Georgians dare hope for, the lucky few of us that travel up north just might get some snow. Sophomore Chase Hankin recalls Christmas mornings in Maine with his grandparents, when he and his siblings would wake up and run out of the house into the piercingly cold snow to race each other around the house. “We all have a bit of a competitive spirit in my family,” said Hankin. “Presents can only be opened after the winner is declared.”

On the other hand, some people would rather have Christmas-time sand than snow. The Wade family – sophomores Maddox and Knox, and senior Margaux – travels to the beach every holiday break for a much anticipated respite from the dreary cold of Atlanta. The day after Christmas, they head to Grayton Beach for a week of relaxation after the stressful semester. “This will be the 21st year my parents and our friends have gone down to Grayton and as us kids have grown up, it’s become an exciting family tradition,” the sophomore Maddox said.

For junior Liza Fagin, Hanukkah celebrations are a fun time of celebration with a big extended family gathering, latkes to feast on, presents to open, dreidel games to play, and the traditional lighting of the menorah. Although she doesn’t celebrate Christmas herself, on the 25th her family heads over to a friend’s house for Christmas brunch. “People think I shouldn’t celebrate during the Christmas season because I’m Jewish,” she said. “But I love the excitement of the holiday and the music!” 

Growing up, Kwanzaa has been an important time for Lydia Scott and her family to celebrate their African heritage. It is celebrated over a week’s time, with each day being dedicated to one of the seven principles the holiday is based upon. “We don’t celebrate it as much as we used to, but it’s still important to my family and I think the different celebrations throughout the week are interesting.”

After a fun season of holidays, students wrap up the break by welcoming in the new year. Senior Lilia Bontinsky spends every New Years in Chicago, keeping up with her annual tradition of deep dish pizza at her family’s favorite restaurant. “I love spending time with my family.” she said. “Every year without fail we get pizza and go for a walk through my dad’s old neighborhood at night.”

Whatever you celebrate – or if you instead spend the holiday break simply relaxing – it is clear there is much to look forward to, and traditions both old and new. North Atlanta wishes everyone a merry break and a Happy New Year!