With 2024 in our rearview and the excitement of the new year, many people are reflecting on the holidays and time spent with loved ones. Several students took the time to share how their holiday traditions and festive moments over the month-long break.
For students like Lauren Murray (sophomore, business marketing), Christmas is more than just a day. “Not only do we celebrate Christmas Day,” she said, “we celebrate Christmas the whole month long. We’re celebrating family, Jesus' birth … we love coming together and enjoying the holidays. There’s nothing like that Christmas feeling.”
The month-long break also gave many students a much-needed relief from the hustle and bustle of the semester. Mikah Smith (freshman, pre-physical therapy) shared how she used the weeks off. “Honestly, I spent a lot of the break relaxing; I spent a lot of time in bed.”
For others like Matthew Bourne (junior, music education), the break was a time for connecting with friends and family. “Six of my friends came and visited Canada, and we went sightseeing in Toronto, went to a concert and played some basketball.”
Family traditions are a vital part of what makes the holiday season so nostalgic. Colin Browne (junior, psychology) took part in celebrating this season with his family. “One tradition in my family is my mom and I bake and decorate Christmas cookies, and we all watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’,” he shared. Browne added that on top of their yearly festivities, his family tried something new this year. “My mom and I decided to make a big Christmas dinner with new recipes we found online. One of the things we made was hot lemon pepper wings, a recipe we found on TikTok.”
Farrah Murray (junior, public health) spread holiday cheer with her gift of song and by sharing a meal with loved ones. “Something new I did this year was perform at a Christmas concert with my sisters," Murray said. “We usually go to my grandma’s house and eat dinner with her and all my cousins.”
It is no secret that Andrews University is home to a large population of international students, some of whom celebrate the holidays in a way that may be foreign to others. Samuel Martin (junior, biochemistry) expressed the joys of the holidays with his Jamaican family. “My fam most definitely celebrates Christmas with a Jamaican twist. [I] made black cake and [a lot of] food so all mans can eat. Christmas was super merry.” Martin also shared one of the highlights of his break was receiving a generous gift from his parents, which had been at the top of his list for a while: “For Christmas, I got a new phone cause my phone was mashed up, so I got blessed with a new one.”
For many in our Andrews community, the holidays are a time of cheer, gratitude and feelings of goodwill. With the new year and new semester ahead of us, I hope we can all do our part and try our best to spread some of that holiday light all year round.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.