As the weather gets colder and the excitement rises for Christmas break, many Penn Manor families start their annual holiday traditions.
“Christmas makes me feel super happy,” said freshman Kacie Dumas. “Our family tradition is to go over to my uncle’s house to party.”
“Christmas makes me feel like I’m floatin’ on a cloud,” said Mickayla Baldwin , whose family has a very unique tradition. Her family plays a game called Polyanna.
“Each family member gets three numbered cards and we put them in a hat. Then somebody picks a card and if you had the number that’s on the card you get to pick a gift from the big pile of presents.”
This is a very popular holiday tradition in the United States.
Caitlin Whirt, a senior at Penn Manor shares her family tradition of putting pictures in front of their decorated Christmas tree. Also, Caitlin said that her family always gets together for the holidays at her house.
Here at Penn Manor High School, Christmas is just one of the many holidays celebrated among the student body. Hannakuh, a Jewish holiday is celebrated as well.
“Basically, our family lights the Menorah candles before dinner, eat dinner, and then we get presents,” freshman Nate Rosenburg said. “Oh, and we always have a family Hanukkah party.”
Along with gift and family dinners, holiday songs are another very popular tradition when the holidays are approaching.
Christmas music originated in England where traveling musicians would visit towns and sing Christmas songs for the holidays. In today’s society, we still go door to door and sing carols for all to hear.
“My favorite Christmas song has to be “Carol of the Bell,'” said Cassie Kreider a Christmas loving Penn Manor freshman.
Mickayla Baldwin another freshman says that her favorite song is “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” an old Christmas carol written by John Francis Wade that first appeared 1751.
Brian Geer, a junior at Penn Manor tells us that his favorite Christmas Carol is “Silent Night.” The song has been translated into more languages then any other Christmas song.
Courtney Whirt, a freshman says that her favorite Christmas carol is “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.”
Whether it’s listening to Christmas music, or getting presents at family reunions, most families have their own special holiday traditions.
By Olivia Bailey and Toby Holsinger