It’s the Holiday Season Panthers! Soon the test will be over and the feasting will commence, for some of us anyway. HCFIU went around campus and asked our students how they spend their Holidays.
Here is what they said:
“I am Peruvian and my family and I get together for Noche Buena. As a kid, we would have dinner at my Aunt’s house on the 24th, the kids who still believed in Santa would go to bed after dinner and the parents would hang out and set up the presents. At 12, my grandfather opened the door and acted like Santa and some of us would open some of presents. This year is going to be a little different because the kids are all grown up, but we’re probably still going to have a Christmas party and open presents at 12”. – Diana Correa, 20 years old, English Major
“During the Holidays my mom like to watch Christian related Holiday movies, on Lifetime usually. We do that after eating, a Vegan dinner my step Dad cooks for us. If I’m not working, I’ll probably be doing that this year too.” – Sabrina Mehu, 20 years old, Hospitality Major
“I grew up Catholic so every 24th of December at midnight I would go to mass with my family. I’d come back home and if I wasn’t too sleepy– I’d open a present”. We do that every year, even now.” – Francisco Ramos, 22 years old, English Major
“I am from Long Island and on the 24th I usually went with my Nana to this bakery called Frank’s bakery, we waited in line to get a box of cannolis. It was usually snowing, and the creek use to freeze over and we were able to skate on it. We also had dinner at my Nana’s, she never actually ate with us because she is in the kitchen doing her thing. We had five course meals, it was basically a day of food, oh and, she made rice pudding for dessert! On Christmas Eve we get one present, and the rest we open on the 25th. This year is different because I am working, trying to get that Holiday pay.”- Alanna Spina, 21, Psychology Major
“I eat a lot during the Holidays, I exchange gifts, and celebrate with family members. Now I’ll be going back to Puerto Rico for New Years and Three Kings Day to continue my yearly tradition.” -Kiara Serrano Ruiz, 23 years old, Psychology and Criminal Justice Major
“Well personally as a kid, we always celebrated Christmas Eve, Noche Buena, with usually my mom brother, grandparents aunts and uncles.We would do the dinner that night, but unlike most Hispanic families, we never opened the presents on Christmas Eve, my mother would always make us wait for the morning. We would eat dinner and sing, “Noche Buena” as a family tradition before we start to disperse and go our own ways.This year is actually a little different at least for me, because my mom recently got married and she had a baby this past May. It’s the first time since I was 8 that we’ve had a baby in the household. So I have a new brother for Christmas, I will most likely be working this year on Christmas Eve, so it’ll be the year Eve I do not attend, but I’ll be with everyone in the morning so it’s not so bad.” – Alexander Febres, 25 years old, English Major
It looks like the Holidays have changed a little for a few of us during the years. Regardless of your life situation, this continues to be a time of celebration.
Happy Holidays Panthers, and good luck on finals!