The holiday season is a perfect time to spread cheer and take time to enjoy great food and company with the people we adore. DGS has a diverse community of students, and with diversity comes an assortment of holiday traditions.

Senior Jillian Scott loves the chance to catch up on sleep during the holiday break, but nothing can beat her annual Christmas Eve ritual that her family has been carrying out since she was eight.

“So my parents got divorced, and I was always driving from Indiana back home; one night when we were supposed to go to a family party and we all [decided] we didn’t really want to [go], so we stopped and got Popeyes chicken in Indiana. [Now], every Christmas Eve we buy fried chicken and mashed potatoes and we pig out,” Scott said.

This tradition is far from extravagant but to Scott, it holds a dear spot in her heart.

“It’s special because it’s so ridiculous [and] weird; everyone is having nice dinners, and I’m eating fried chicken with grease all over my hands,” Scott said.

Scott is not the only one who takes some time out of their holiday break to enjoy some precious time with family and friends. Sophomore Emily Castaneda honors her Mexican culture by celebrating many festivities such as Las Posadas and Nochebuena.

Castaneda spoke more on behalf of the activities that occur on Las Posadas which is a nine-day religious observance celebrated from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24.

“We invite close friends and extended family, we break piñatas, we sing and traditionally eat pambazos poblanos (a special ground pork and chorizo sandwich). This happens usually twice [during] the Christmas season and then [on Christmas Eve] at 12 o’clock we sing a lullaby for the birth of Jesus,” Castaneda said.

This time of the year is also a special time for sophomore Nathan Frewen who celebrates Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish holiday that celebrates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple.

“We have traditional food around Hanukkah especially. It’s usually a lot of things [such as] potato pancakes, donuts and soups…There’s [also] the lighting of the candles each night, which is more of a ceremonial thing than a traditional thing, so it’s less about fun and more about the meaning of the holiday,” Frewen said.

Frewen also shared one of his favorite childhood holiday traditions.

“Sometimes my parents would send me on scavenger hunts to find little things like pieces of chocolate that were little gifts and I think that was fun,” Frewen said.

Even though everyone has their own significant traditions that they celebrate and honor, one thing that unites us all is the love and joy that the holidays bring.