In anticipation of winter break, the HC writers are sharing what we are doing for holidays and festivus!
Every year for Christmas, my family goes to Florida. This vacation is a great way to avoid the snow and cold weather in Massachusetts, as well as spend some quality time together. As much as I hate finals week, I love being that much closer to a week in warm weather! -Mary
Elizabeth: In the past few years, my aunt has organized a gingerbread making party with all of the cousins on my dad’s side of the family. Each year, I look forward to this event as I appreciate how much time my aunt puts into making the gingerbread houses and frosting from scratch and putting together all of the additives for the houses. It is a time to catch up with family members I rarely see throughout the year while creating a holiday treat. As an artist and generally creative person, I thrive in this gingerbread making environment, repurposing the traditional gingerbread house. There is typically a ‘winner’ at the end of the night…I have won in the past…
Ann: I am going back to Seattle for Christmas to be with my family, and then I will spent 3 weeks backpacking by myself around South America. The two things I’m most excited about this break are spending New Year’s in Rio de Janeiro and being done with finals!!!
Kiely: With a lot of extended family, Christmas is always chaotic and fun. My family often turns Christmas day into Christmas week, we start with my aunt hosting a gigantic holiday mixer with all of her family and friends, then we move to cookie baking once my other aunt’s flight gets in. Next we move into Christmas eve at my grandparent’s house, with most of my dad’s side of the family, the next day we do a small immediate family gift exchange and then the next two days include gift exchanges with different groupings of the extended family, and finally by the time we get to New Years, we are all sick of each other and try to head out with friends; however, we typically all come back together either by the end of the night or get together for my grandfather to cook omelets one of the next few days before my aunt flies back to Minnesota.