Lifestyle
Vol. 45, Issue #3
The Knightly News - Page 7
Holiday Gift Recommendations for Friends As the holiday season approaches, you might be
Darren Rosing asking yourself: what should I get my friends this Opinion Editor Class of 2021
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Photo Illustration: Kathryn Hood
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year? Well, The Knightly News has you covered! Here are our favorite gifts for friends this 2019 holiday season that are sure to be a hit.
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For the Forgetful Friend
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For the Active Friend
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For the Sentimental Friend
For the SweetToothed Friend A pint of gourmet edible cookie dough from the cookie dough cafe would be the perfect gift. Pints can be ordered directly from their online website for $12, or can be purchased in person in local stores. The closest vendor near Pace is the Fresh Market on Roswell Road. They come in seven distinct flavors, ranging from OREO to confetti cake. They even have gluten-free and vegan options.
For the On-the-Go Friend We recommend Mophie’s Powerstation Mini portable battery. Coming in five colors, the $39.95 power bank provides 5,000mAh of energy. And, the two USB ports on the device allow you to charge two items at once!
For the Friend Who’s Already Committed to College A university-themed Smathers & Branson accessory would be the perfect gift this holiday season. Needlepoint key fobs, belts, can coolers, hats and wallets are available in the designs of many American universities. Can coolers are $29.50.
We recommend the Tile Pro. After attaching the Tile to your keys, wallet, or any other easily misplaced item, you will be able to track their location from an app on your cell phone, and even have the ability to make the Tile ring loudly so you can assess where exactly your item is in a room. The Pro is Tile’s best-performing ringer, with a range of 400 ft. and a one-year replaceable battery. This is a life-changer for people prone to losing their most valuable belongings and goes for $34.99.
For the active friend, a new Hydroflask water bottle will be perfect! The 18 oz. Standard Mouth bottle comes in eight different colors for $29.95, and you even have the option to mix-and-match the colors through a customization tool. The bottle’s unique double-walled vacuum maintains both icy and hot temperatures for a prolonged, satisfying hydration experience.
There is no sweeter gift than a personalized Yankee Candle. Starting at $22, you can choose from five different candle shapes and 12 different fragrances. Then, you can upload a picture of you and your friend that captures the essence of your friendship, and add a personalized message on the candle’s label. While the candle burns and sweet fragrance permeates through their room, your friend will be so grateful.
Students Ring in the Holiday Season Sloane Wagreich Staff Writer Class of 2021
As soon as Halloween night ends, students eagerly begin to await the holiday season. Not only is school out for winter break, but students get to spend time with their families and enjoy their anticipated holiday traditions. Christmas and Hanukkah fill December with excitement. The presents, Christmas lights and wintry season are just some of the many elements that make this season so exciting; however, it is not just about the gifts. With the holidays comes a series of family traditions and religious history that students and their relatives celebrate. Of course, Christmas is a much anticipated holiday among Pace students. It is traditional for most to decorate a Christ-
mas tree and for many to attend church on Christmas Eve on Dec. 24. Christmas is observed worldwide to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The classic fir trees are used to symbolize a sense of everlasting light and love. Senior Andrew Neville is just one of the hundreds of Pace students that celebrates Christmas. “Both of my parents are Methodist so it’s a tradition for us to celebrate Christmas every year,” said Neville. “On Christmas Eve, we go to one of our grandparents’ houses and on Christmas Day, we spend time at our other grandparents’ house,” explained Neville. Neville and his family enjoy Christmas traditions such as decorating their tree, taking part in a gift exchange and eating a meal together on Christmas Eve. In addition to Neville, freshman Brooke Fung Chung takes part in the typical Christmas traditions over the holidays.
Photo Illustration: Kathryn Hood
“On Christmas Eve, we go to one of our grandparents’ houses and on Christmas Day, we spend time at our other grandparents’ house.” – Andrew Neville
“We celebrate Christmas and it is an important time for us to meet with family and for all of us to be together,” said Fung Chung. “We are all spread apart and I have family in New York, Florida and Georgia, so it is nice for all of us to spend time together during Christmas.” For Fung Chung, it is more than the gifts and the lights. She anticipates the arrival of all of her relatives, excited to celebrate the holidays with them. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a commonly observed holiday in the Jewish community. The story of Hanukkah goes back to roughly 200 B.C. when the Maccabees defeated King Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria who had ruled Jerusalem and outlawed the Jewish religion. After the Syrians were driven out of Jerusalem, Judah Maccabee called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple and rebuild its altar. They only
“I have family in New York, Florida and Georgia, so it is nice for all of us to spend time together during Christmas.” – Brooke Fung Chung
had enough oil to light a lamp for one night. However, the oil lasted for eight nights, signifying a miracle and the reason behind the eight-day duration of Hanukkah. It is common for Jews to light a menorah, exchange gifts and spin the dreidel every night in observance of this holiday. Sophomore Cole Kaplan celebrates Hanukkah every year with his family. “We spend time doing traditions like spinning the dreidel and opening gifts with our family,” said Kaplan. “These traditions have been in my family since before I was born. My parents always took part in these activities and it has been around for a long time.” Kaplan loves Hanukkah especially because it allows him to gather with his relatives that don’t live close by and honor the traditions that have been in his family for years. Junior Casey Shoulberg also takes part in the Hanukkah festivities. “My entire family
“We do traditions like spinning the dreidel and opening gifts with our family. These traditions have been in my family since before I was born.” – Cole Kaplan
gets the chance to celebrate together and it has never really been about presents to us,” said Shoulberg. “It is mainly about lighting the candles and getting in touch with our Jewish roots.” Shoulberg explained that her favorite family tradition is a gift exchange known as “Hannukah Harry,” where everyone is assigned a person in her family to get a present for. “The tradition started with basically just finding something fun that our entire family could participate in,” said Shoulberg. “It is a way for all of us to be together as an entire family and since my family is big, it incorporates people I don’t usually see over the year.” Shoulberg shared that her grandmother converted, and they still celebrate Christmas in December. “It is really nice for us to be able to celebrate all of these different holidays while still being together and having a great time as a family,” she said.
“My entire family gets the chance to celebrate together and it has never really been about presents to us. It is mainly about lighting the candles and getting in touch with our Jewish roots." – Casey Shoulberg
