Is there really no place like home for the holidays? There are some students who couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but their own cozy living rooms by a warm fireplace on Christmas morning. But there are many others who wouldn’t think twice about celebrating this holiday in a very different kind of winter wonderland, where Christmas lights are wrapped around palm trees and where people are actually able to splash around in the ocean without turning into icicles.
“I go away every year to Florida to visit my grandparents and cousins,” Sydney Sussman ’15 said, “I love going away because I am able to remove myself from the stress of school, and being in a new environment helps me with that.”
Many students, like Sussman, are completely willing to give up Christmas at home if it means they can dodge the cold winter weather in exchange for a warm, tropical holiday season with their families.
While some families beeline straight to the tropics, others have to travel a bit more internationally to visit their extended family during the holiday season. Stacy Kanoko ’15 explained how her international Christmases have made some of her holiday experiences a bit confusing– but also a lot of fun.
“We usually go to places that are in completely different time zones so we kind of lose track of what day it even is” Kanoko said.
Kanoko said that she often goes all the way to Japan to visit some of her extended family, and even though they don’t exactly celebrate Christmas there, her family still exchanges gifts and gets into the festive spirit of the holiday.
But of course, there are the students who love to simply savor the sweet traditions of a classic Christmas at home. Melissa Alvarado ’14 even brings some of our favorite holiday songs into action throughout her holiday season.
“I stay home and roast chestnuts on an open fire,” Alvarado said.
For many students, Christmas is simply nonexistent without the seasonal tradition of opening presents under a freshly cut evergreen ornate with its familiar collection of decorations, making their yearly appearance on the branches of the tree.
“I love sleeping in as well as enjoying the whole tree lighting, and unwrapping of presents at home,” said Sage Vouse ’15, “however I do envy people who escape the weather.”
