With the holidays right around the corner, friends and family from the CHS community are preparing to celebrate. No matter what holiday students celebrate this time of year, there is much joy to be had. Some CHS students have traditions that they look forward to every year and can’t wait to celebrate.
Jace Trotti (‘26) looks forward to celebrating Christmas with family from both her mom’s side and her dad’s side each year.
“We have this thing that we call ‘Second Christmas,’ which we normally have in January. It’s really meaningful [to me] because it means I get to see both sides of my family every year. So, whichever side didn’t get to [host] Christmas on Christmas [Day] gets to [host] both Thanksgiving [Day] and Second Christmas, and we alternate which side of the family gets which,” said Trotti.
On her mom’s side, Trotti has a special tradition on Christmas morning for when they open gifts.
“We call it ‘Most Guestest,’ and it starts with the oldest woman in the house opening a present, and then it goes to the oldest man, second oldest woman, second oldest man, and so forth. It bothered me as a child because I would always go last, but it taught me manners and patience. It really makes it more meaningful than if we just opened them all at once,” said Trotti.
Layne Huey (‘27) loves the thoughtfulness of the Christmas season.
“I love the thought of giving back to the people you love and spending time around the Christmas tree. I also really like all of the decorations. They just give a really nice vibe, and it’s nice to be able to go home and sit around the tree with your family even when school is so hectic,” said Huey.
Another tradition that’s special to Huey is the food she and her family enjoy together.
“Every Christmas Eve, we go out to a little fancy dinner and spend time together as a family before the craziness of Christmas Day. My grandma also makes us brunch every year. She loves brunch, so we always make sure to have it with her on Christmas. She makes this really good tomato soup that I’ve loved since I was five years old, and it is probably my favorite Christmas dish,” said Huey.
Mariann Kersh (‘26) delights in the simple meaning of Advent and the Christmas season.
“I love the reason for the season—celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. I also just love getting to spend time with family, and I love gift giving,” said Kersh.
The diverse student population at CHS means students go home to celebrate much more than just Christmas. Jacob Shankman (‘28) celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah with his family.
“[Every year], we go to my grandparents house and open all of our gifts from both Hanukkah and Christmas. We get to celebrate with both the Christian side and the Jewish side of my family, which I think is really nice,” said Shankman.
Between all of the family festivities and joyous traditions, it seems like CHS students have a lot to look forward to this holiday season!
