Faculty and students celebrate Christmas with cheerful traditions

Henley Davis

During Christmas break from Dec. 15-Jan. 3, students and faculty celebrated the holidays through their own Christmas traditions while away from school. Many of the community’s traditions include decorating trees, opening presents with family, traveling, and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ in different ways. Many families celebrated Christmas with their own traditions that hold special meaning to them. Here are some of the best Christmas traditions from students and faculty:

(l to r) Freshman Jack Callahan and junior Jules Callahan dress up in matching pajamas. Callahan

Junior Jules Callahan

“My entire family dresses up in matching pajamas on Christmas morning, and we wait on the stairs and take a picture before we open presents.”

This delicious coffee cake looks like the one that Chris Yoder enjoys with his family on Christmas morning.

Chris Yoder

Freshman Mallory Suits

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“Growing up my mother always made a delicious homemade coffee cake on Christmas Eve. The recipe is a family recipe my grandmother brought from England as an immigrant to the United States in the 1920’s. My mother passed away in 2016, but we have carried on the tradition of making the cake on Christmas Eve for us to enjoy on Christmas morning.

Suits

“On Christmas morning, my siblings and I are not allowed to go downstairs to open presents until my mom finishes making breakfast. She makes breakfast casserole and monkey bread.”

Sophomore Olivia Noel spent this Christmas at the beach. Noel

Sophomore Olivia Noel

“One of the traditions that my family participates in is decorating our house for Christmas when we get back from my grandma’s house on Thanksgiving.”

Senior

Senior Amanda Mola

“My family and I like to eat a special Christmas breakfast while we open presents.”

Wischerth

Katie Wischerth enjoys a cup of coffee on Christmas morning.

Katie Wischerth

“One of our Christmas traditions, which was adopted from my husband’s family, is to place Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning. Our nativity set has a manger, but baby Jesus is missing until Christmas Day. It gives us a moment amid the chaos and fun of Christmas morning (we do perpetuate the lie of Santa—and love it) to remember the true purpose and meaning of Christmas.”