Walk around the block on a glistening December night, and you’ll catch glimpses of decorated trees or a menorah glowing in someone’s front window. But the real story isn’t what you can see, it’s the traditions and cultures behind those windows; different for every family, yet somehow still bringing our school and community together.
So, let’s take a look into a few of those windows: Christmas, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, and Yule.
Christmas
Christmas is easily the most commonly celebrated holiday at Harrison. According to a Pew study, 66% of adults in the Cincinnati area identify as Christian, and every Harrison student who responded to our survey reported celebrating Christmas in some way.
While Christmas is rooted in Christianity, people from many backgrounds celebrate it through gift-giving, decorating, family gatherings, or seasonal traditions. Some focus on the religious story of Jesus Christ’s birth, while others celebrate Santa Claus, festive lights, and traditions passed through generations.
Student Traditions at Harrison
Students reported classics like:
-
Decorating trees and houses
-
Exchanging gifts
-
Watching holiday movies (Elf, Home Alone, Polar Express, Nightmare Before Christmas)
-
Going on winter vacations
-
Baking or big family dinners
Henry Walker, a junior, shared that his family starts their Christmas season right after Thanksgiving by building LEGO’s holiday sets
“This year we got the REALLY awesome gingerbread AT-AT.”
His family often visits relatives around the holidays, and they watch everything from Elf to Marvel’s Hawkeye,
“If Die Hard is a Christmas movie, then Hawkeye is EVEN MORE a Christmas movie—and I will die on that hill.”
Senior Madison McIntyre also shared, “A special tradition me and my mom do is an Advent book, with rhymes counting down the days till Christmas.”
This countdown tradition helps build anticipation each night leading up to the holiday.
For many students, winter traditions begin on the road. Plenty of Harrison families travel locally or across state lines to reconnect with relatives they don’t often see during the school year.
For many students, winter break starts with a suitcase. Junior Shay Uxer, for example, spends Christmas in east Tennessee with her stepdad’s family, a tradition that has become part of what makes the holiday feel familiar. Senior Tucker Ward usually ends up in either Columbus or Michigan, to see his extended family.
Some students treat break as a reset button rather than a reunion. Ripley Carrol’s family usually searches for warmer weather, trading snow for sand.
Sophomore Paxton Collins, does the opposite with his families visits to New York, which he described as “beautiful in the winter.”
Different Denominations & Cultural Traditions
Within the holiday of Christmas, there are multiple sub religions that have their own unique traditions. For example, the Catholic denomination gets a visit from more than just Santa. On the night of the 5th, Saint Nicholas, known for generosity and gift-giving, comes to fill stockings.
Cultural traditions also show up across Harrison families.
Junior Allen Offill’s family participates in the German-rooted tradition of hiding the pickle ornament in the Christmas tree. Whoever finds it first is said to get good luck (or sometimes an extra gift).
Hannukah
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC. According to PBS, the holiday lasts eight nights to honor the miracle of oil that burned far longer than expected. Many families exchange gifts over the eight days, play games like dreidel, and enjoy foods fried in oil, such as latkes or jelly donuts.
When asked about some of their favorite traditions, Freshman Autumn Siglock shared, “During Chanukah, my family plays Loteria, a Spanish/Latin American bingo game in addition to playing dreidel.”
Another anonymous 11th grader described traditions like lighting the menorah, reading the Torah, and playing dreidel. They shared that a favorite memory from the holiday included “[their] cousins swindling [them] out of chocolate during the dreidel game.”
Winter Solstice / Yule
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. It falls on December 21 and has been celebrated for thousands of years, with some estimates tracing traditions back to 10,200 B.C. One of the best-known celebrations is Yule, a Northern European pagan festival held on December 21 or 22. Families traditionally decorate an evergreen tree with handmade ornaments, light candles, share a feast, and take part in Yule fires.
Junior Naomi Butcher explained that while she does not follow specific rituals, many pagans use the solstice as a moment to set intentions for the coming year, similar to how people create New Year’s resolutions.
No matter which holidays we celebrate or how our traditions differ, what brings everyone together is the shared sense of winter spirit and the chance to pause from school for a moment of rest.
