As the days grow colder, the holiday spirit rises even higher at GA. Each holiday includes its own set of unique traditions like lighting menorahs, decorating trees and having feasts with families and friends. Each GA student or faculty member has shared traditions, explaining why the holiday season is meaningful to them.
Each tradition practiced has its own special meaning to the practitioner, giving everyone great memories during the holidays.
“My favorite holiday [tradition] is to decorate the Christmas tree with my family,” Chase Winter ‘27 said. “It’s a great time to spend with my family and reminisce about previous holidays.”
Other holidays are also meaningful to those who celebrate around the world.
“A favorite tradition that I have is a Hanukkah party with a lot of my extended family,” Zoe Brownstein ‘28 said. “We would get together and make latkes and light the menorah. It’s a bunch of fun”.
Though each tradition is special in its own way, new traditions can also find a place alongside old ones.
“We’ve been watching Home Alone every single year, so it’s starting to get old,” Damisi Owolabi ‘29 said. “If we could get a new movie to watch this year, that would be pretty great.”
Receiving gifts can be one of the most exciting things during this time, which can brighten up the holiday experience.
“In high school, my parents gifted me tickets to see Justin Bieber,” Ms. Megan Samtmann, Upper School Science Teacher, said. “It really stuck with me. That [was] my best Christmas gift ever.”
Experiences are one of the most memorable gifts someone can give to another.
“My grandpa handed us envelopes, and it was an invitation to go spend a week with our grandparents in Florida and then the brand-new Walt Disney World Park,” Mr. Richard O’Hern, Upper School Science Teacher, said.
Each family celebrates the holiday season with different traditions including wishbone breaking and dreidel spinning along with more casual festivities such as movie watching and parties. Celebrating holidays in different ways and sharing those traditions can be a great way to strengthen the GA community and build understanding.