Hang up your stockings and decorate the tree. The most wonderful time of the year has come and with it many views from students. The cozy rhythm of cheer and gifting has begun, so start your traditions and get those cookies baked and hot chocolate ready. 

“My favorite part of Christmas is the moment I step into my relative’s house to spend the day with them,” Samantha Vo said. “Seeing the house decked out in Christmas decorations, hearing the voices of everyone laughing and watching my little cousins run around excited to open presents. It all makes me feel happy and grateful for everything I have. It also brings a rush of excitement to make new memories and to enjoy the special day.” 

Like many would agree, Christmas is the time to be with family and give in to movie nights and fun Christmas traditions to celebrate the season. An opportunity to “play an annual board game” “spend time with loved ones” and “Stay up on Christmas Eve trying to catch Santa”. 

“My family and I always watch Elf and Christmas Vacation over Christmas break,” Allie Love said. “We also decorate sugar cookies along with driving around and looking at Christmas lights.” 

While watching movies and driving around to see the lights is a must for many students, religious celebrations and other forms of celebrating bring families closer together in the cold winter month of “glistening snow” and chilly nights.

“Christmas is about celebrating God and all of the wonderful gifts He has blessed us with,” Love said. “Christmas is a great time, not only to spread positivity but to acknowledge God and come together as a community.” 

In contrast, some students don’t celebrate it for the religious meaning of it. 

“My family and I don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday,” Arya Diggikar said. “But we still do some aspects of it such as family lunch, getting presents and setting up the tree.” 

Christmas, in view of many students, is not all about the giving and receiving, nor the idea of attempting to “catch Santa on Christmas Eve.” Many believe that family and time with friends is more important, which the season is really about. 

“I believe that Christmas is a day where you can see family and spend time with them,” Kevin Nguyen said. “ It’s a plus to exchange gifts, but even if we didn’t do that, the best gift is to just see the ones you love around you and have fun with them.” 

In addition to family being the best gift, students also find the excitement of getting presents one of the best things about Christmas. 

“I love getting presents because I can get products that I will use daily, that may be more expensive to buy on my own,” Diggikar said.

As the gifts, many students have described, to be expensive or wants, other students hold onto the idea that it isn’t about the type of present but the thought behind it. 

“Gifts are important to Christmas,” Vo said. “But not the materialistic type of gifts we usually exchange. It’s more of the meaning behind giving the gifts. Whether the gift is expensive or cheap, it’s the reason behind why the person chose it or gave it to you or the effort they put into it…it is the only thing that matters.” 

Gifting, the given part of Christmas, however, the opinion of them, have failed to be the most important part of Christmas. While decorating trees and hanging up stockings has been a tradition many families continue to do, Christmas -in the hearts of the students- became about the firm belief in family presence and religious ideals. 

“My favorite part of Christmas is being surrounded by my family and the Spirit leading up to it,” Love said. “Often, my cousins come to town and we play sports and do activities as a group. I also enjoy visiting stores and seeing the Christmas ornaments and lights.” 

White Christmas’ come and go, but family sticks with you. As students find that the most magical times of the year have been caused by snow and standing in a community of family, Christmas becomes about the cherished memories not the could have beens. 

“It was probably two years ago when I went to Oklahoma to see family,” Nguyen said. “When we went there was snow, but not just any snow it was soft and fluffy, not like Texas snow that’s just blocks of ice. I made a snowman and hung out with the family all day.” 

Traditions play a huge role in the development of the path up to Christmas day and have been struck by many students as an opportunity to feel the Christmas spirit even more. 

“Everyone has their own version of Christmas,” Vo said. “So I think that Christmas is also an opportunity to create new traditions that are unique to your family.” 

If you haven’t already, get those ugly sweaters out and big hot chocolate mugs and turn on the fire, maybe watch a movie or make a Christmas puzzle. Blast the Christmas music and bake the cookies. Don’t forget to hang out with family and friends.