This year I’m visiting my mom and her family in Nova Scotia over the holidays! Over the years we’ve formed a tradition of starting Christmas morning off with a spread of bagels, smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and more before opening gifts.
– Serena Austin, Editor-in-Chief, The Sputnik
The holiday season is a joyful time to be spend with those you love and hold dear to your heart. As such, spending time with loved ones, friends and people within your community allows for holiday cheer to be spread all around!
I love the holiday season. It’s a time where I am able to spend quality time with my family and friends, sharing new and old stories we all enjoy together!
I am looking forward to sharing a big Christmas dinner, giving thanks for the time spent together and time we will share in the upcoming year! My grandparents always make a wonderful dinner feast, and I always make the sweets!
– Grace Correiro, Music Manager, Radio Laurier
Although I do not observe any religious holidays at this time of the year, I love seeing my community members celebrate their own cultural holidays and traditions.
Seeing my friends put up decorations and prepare for celebrations fills me with a form of second-hand joy.
Personally, I spend the holidays spending as much time as I can with my family and friends. This is the one time of the year when most of us get a holiday or time off from work or school that we can spend together.
I also try to contribute donations and my time to community non-profit organizations that give to those in need during Winter, or to my local mosque.
I think the best part of the holidays is the community feel that it brings to this city, even if you are feeling alone during this time of the year.
– Yasmeen Almomani, Editor-in-Chief, The Cord
Every year my family and I go to our local Christmas tree farm and pick out this years tree.
Usually we walk to the end of the farm and finally pick one out that we all like for my uncle to cut down. It’s one of my favourite holiday activities as my family and I are usually very busy throughout the year and don’t get to see each other a lot, it’s an opportunity to spend some quality time together!
– Abigail Heckbert, President and Publisher, WLUSP
Not super festive, but every December my brother and I put together a list of all the movies that came out that year that we haven’t seen yet.
Then we’ll spend the month, and especially the two weeks of the holiday break watching them. It also gives us the chance to hang out when as we get older we’ve been busier and busier.
It’s a great tradition because it helps us watch a bunch of awesome movies that we might’ve missed otherwise and well as spend some good quality time together.
– Jackson Wells, Station Manager, Radio Laurier
I generally celebrate special days by making my special tea with ginger, and mint and cardamom and drinking a L O T of it, often complemented with large servings of chocolate.
– Kashyap Patel, Multimedia Director, The Cord
I’m celebrating by having a potluck with family friends and tons of hot chocolate!
– Crystal Xue, Lifestyle Editor, The Cord
On Christmas Eve, my family does Noche Buena. It’s a large feast that takes place an hour before midnight so we can welcome in Christmas with happy times and yummy food.
During Christmas, my family hosts a large Christmas party with all of our extended family and friends. We have a potluck filled with Filipino food and karaoke. It’s been a family tradition since as long as I can remember.
– Adrian Quijano, Editorial Assistant, The Community Edition
For the holidays, I am looking forward to one tradition in particular that I have started with my Emily.
Every year, we go to the Christkindl Market in Kitchener, and every year, I wait patiently for my chance to pet the animals, and enjoy a hot cider, a footlong corndog, and fresh apple fritters. We walk around, enjoy the weather, visit the vendors, and then walk back to our apartment together.
It’s simple, but it holds such a warm place in my heart to be able to share that experience with my partner. Some of my best holiday memories centre around this little tradition, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world.
– Aaron Waitson, Executive Director, WLUSP
I’ve always loved the holidays. My parents worked each year to make every Christmas season special for me.
I’m an only child with a small family, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve found so much comfort in the specialness of our simple traditions.
Having been with my fiance for eight years now, he’s gotten to be a part of our little Christmases, and I couldn’t be more grateful that he’s picked us as his chosen family.
Spending time together—now with three cats added into the mix—while my dad makes turkey and Nat King Cole croons in the background while we open presents together, is what makes this time of the year feel so precious to me.
– Emily Waitson, Human Resources Manager, WLUSP
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