Every year on December 25, many people around the world celebrate Christmas. This holiday has its roots in the Christian faith, as it is honored as the day Jesus was born. However, while it is a religious occasion, Christmas is also important to many non-Christians as secular traditions, such as decorating trees and Santa Claus, are commonly associated with the day.
Christmas began as a tradition to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Messiah in Christianity. The month leading up to the holiday, otherwise known as Advent, prepares Christians for the day itself, when it is believed a savior will be born. Common celebrations include attending mass on Christmas Eve and creating a nativity scene, complete with the holy family as well as shepherds and the three wise men, all of whom had followed a star to pay their respects to Jesus.
There are also many celebrations for non-religious and non-Christian people as well. It is common for many families to decorate trees with ornaments and tell their children about Santa Claus, setting out stockings and cookies by the fireplace on Christmas Eve.
“We normally get Christmas pajamas … that we get on Christmas Eve and we wear for Christmas Day,” said sophomore Marta Luis. “And then, our main tradition is that we each open a present [on] Christmas morning, and we go from youngest to oldest. So, it goes from me to my dad and then goes back to me. And, we just rotate like that because that’s our most important tradition.”
As a Catholic school, NDB celebrates both the religious and secular aspects of Christmas. Each religion class participates in an Advent service sometime during the month of December, while decorative trees can be found in many locations throughout the halls.
“I love that we do the Christmas trees, and it’s just a sign all over the whole school of getting ready for Christmas, of getting ready for the baby Jesus, … and it’s something that the students all do together, which I think is really special,” said Spiritual Life Department Chair Amy Jobin. “This year, with [Hallmarks in Action, we’re going to] try and plan some things that get done in Spiritual Life class.”
Along with the usual decorations and activities within classes, there are other events to help students get into the holiday spirit, many of which are hosted by the Associated Student Body (ASB).
“Typically, every year ASB holds a Christmas spirit week that involves tons of fun outfit ideas and spirit days … This year, we’re planning some really fun activities during lunch time, too, to go along with spirit days. But, that won’t be revealed yet,” said ASB Activities Director Nina Wall. “I think ASB does a really good job at prioritizing the holidays and what comes along with that and allowing the school to have fun opportunities during the holiday season. And, that can just be something as simple as dressing up or maybe putting a different outfit on for the day.”
The wide variety of Christmas traditions allow those who celebrate to do so in the way that means the most to them.
