NOTE FroM THE EDITORS

Join us as we celebrate Christmas through student stories.

Here, you can explore stories of students from the intro level to level 5.

Our student newsletter is a space to practice English, share personal experiences, and connect with our BLC community. We honor every submission as it is, to build confidence and celebrate every voice.

Thank you for reading with kindness.

Trang & Aleks – Newsletter Editors

NoEL

Written by Jean Mary from Haiti

For me, Christmas has always felt a little magical. At home, we start by decorating together—lights, music, and the smell of food filling the whole house. Even though it’s simple, it always makes me feel calm and happy.

What makes this holiday special is that we all come together. We talk, we laugh, and we forget the hard things for a moment. We share food, small gifts, and little moments that turn into memories. For me, Christmas is a time when my heart feels warm and surrounded.

December

Written by ERR from Gersham

My Family and I like to celebrate December 12th the day of the virgin of Guadalupe, Durango the first few data of the month, processions and masses are held and on the 12th, first comunions take place in the community church. In the afternoon, there is another mass, and people dress up as Guarecitas.

Finally we enjoy a fireworks display after December 13th ,the posadas begin, where the community give out sweets, punch, pozole, etc. Until December 23rd, which is the last posada. On December 24th, we gather as a Family and spend time together and we do the same on the 31st.

Family Day

Written by RHJ from Mexico

Hello my name is Rosa. I am 27 years old. My favorite day is Christmas because that's when we can enjoy time with our families and the delicious food of our country. My favorite food is tamales mole posole, but the best thing is to spend with my children.

Story about Christmas

Written by SA from Afghanistan

Christmas big celebration is for Christians on December 25.

They decorate their houses. They make their favorite food and bake cake. They visit their family and friends. They buy gifts for the children. They are happy.

My favorite holiday is Christmas. I clean the house. I buy new clothes for my children. I make my favorite food. We go to visit my family and friends and enjoy the Christmas celebration.

Christmas in family

Written by Yori from Venezuela

I like Christmas, because I like together with my family prep food in Venezuela the food in Christmas is hallaca, bread with jam, we dance too

Christmas

Written by Beatriz from Mexico

For me the Christmas is a date special and very nice and pretty in Christmas you can pass time with your family and open gift.

Christmas

Written by PN from Afghanistan

Happy day give to people. It's the day they wish for. Their houses are lit up.

Christmas Story

Written by S.M. from Guatemala

My favorite holiday is December 25th. I like it very much because we get together the whole family, we live a special moment, we remember the birth of our lord Jesús, we eat traditional tamales and punch in our country, we exchange gifts, we create fun games for adults and have a good time.

Christmas at Home

Written by Esperanza from Mexico

At home at Christmas, I like to prepare buñuelos. My family loves them. They are flour tortillas fried with honey water. I like them plain with condensed milk or sugar. But both ways are delicious.

Happy holidays!

My favorite day

Written by Yanin from Guatemala

My favorite day is Christmas, because that day my whole family gets together. And we cook traditional Guatemala food.

Also we always like to dress up different Christmas costumes and that is to fun.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Written by Celene from Mexico

My favorite holiday is Christmas Day because my family is reunited and every year .

The day of the Virgin of Guadalupe

Written by Maria Esther from Mexico

In our culture we celebrate the day of the virgin of Guadalupe on December 12th, we sing las Mananitas and share food with the community.

My Christmas Cookie Tradition

Written by Candy P. from U.S.A

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is baking and decorating cut-out cookies. I love to share them with friends and family. I have been doing this for about 35 years. I have a set of Nativity cookie cutters, so I make cookies in the shapes of Mary and Joseph, the manger with the baby Jesus, sheep, donkeys, camels, wise men and a star. I also make cookies in the shapes of houses, teddy bears, trees and candy canes. Some people are very careful when they are decorating cookies, but, because I make so many, I do mine very quickly. I call my style impressionist. I think they are very cute and they are definitely delicious!

My Holiday Tradition

Written by DC from Venezuela

My favorite holiday is Christmas. My mom cooks the dinner and my family eats and drinks too much. We do buy gifts for everyone, the kids play with fireworks. I like Christmas because the whole family is together. I like to dress my cat up as Santa Claus. I miss my family so much. I hope to see them one day.

My favorite holiday is Christmas

Written by Esme from Mexico

My favorite holiday is Christmas. In my country we celebrate Christmas on 24 at night. It is when everybody is together in my home. They are my parents, siblings and my niece. We have dinner and we are talking and we eat mom’s pozole and when we finish dinner, we go to bed late. This day brings happiness to me, because is when I travel to Mexico to visit my family and enjoy my little vacations.

Remember my childhood

Written by Neidy from Venezuela

Hello, I'm Neidy Carolina. I'm from Venezuela. My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love Christmas because it reminds me of my childhood and the joy I felt with my parents. Now that I'm an adult, I prepare the Christmas dishes my mother taught me: hallacas, pan de jamón (ham bread), ensalada cocida (cooked salad), pernil (roasted pork leg), lomo negro (black pork loin), torta negra (black cake), manjar (dulce de leche), and dulce de lechosa (papaya sweet). These are the dishes I learned to make. Of course, gifts are a must; any little something is precious. We all exchange gifts, and this is the most fun time for playing games. In our family, we remember the birth of Jesus and celebrate by singing beautiful songs and carols.

My Christmas Experience

Written by Henry from Guatemala

Hello, I’m Henry Baquiax, and I would like to talk about how my family and I celebrate Christmas. Every year, my family prepares tamales, which are a traditional food of Guatemala. For our drink, we make ponche, a warm beverage made with fruits. I really enjoy ponche; it is one of my favorites. In 2024, my family and I visited a river. While we were there, I went on a boat with my brothers and some younger friends. It was a very exciting experience because it was my first time.

My Christmas Eves

Written by CM from Honduras

For me, Christmas is a time to share with my family and friends to remember the birth of Jesus Christ who was sent with love from God to save the world. Christmas is the season of love, forgiveness, harmony and to share food and moments to create unforgettable memories. Christmas can also be nostalgic because of our loved ones who aren’t here anymore, but still live in our hearts.

My Christmas in Family

Written by Carmen M. from Guatemala

My favorite holiday is Christmas because I am with my complete family and make dinner and enjoy do activity with they. Is one special day for me . I love play , Cook and watch tv and movies.

CHRISTMAS IN MY FAMILY

Written by Jorge from Venezuela

December 25th. is a very special day in my family every year. On that day we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Father Jesus Christ of the Catholic Church. We celebrate by doing various activities.

For example, we cook traditional dishes of Venezuela, then, we have a family dinner, then, we pray for the birth of Jesus Christ, then, we do gift exchanges and finally we have a party where we sing and dance to traditional music of Venezuela.

That is our Christmas celebration.

NIGHT OF CANDLES

Written by Gerardo from Colombia

Is a very importan and popular tradition in Colombia, celébrate on December 7th .It marks the beginning of the Christmas lights in cities troughout the country.

That night, families gather and light twelve colored candles in front of their homes, one for each monte of the year.

It is a special night to get together, share , give thanks and ask for all the good things that have happened to us and make twelve wishes for the coming new year.

My Family TradItion

Written by Dora from Mexico

My tradition begins on December 11th and 12th, when my family and I celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe. We make a special decoration for her to make her happy. We decorate it with natural flowers, lights, special ornaments, and we set up a Nativity scene with Baby Jesus and his animals. We sing Las Mañanitas to her, pray the Rosary, and invite everyone to have dinner with us. We make delicious pozole, tamales, atole, and more. It’s a very beautiful tradition for all Mexican Catholics.

In Mexico, those days are very special. Some people make a pilgrimage from their towns; some even walk more than ten days to reach the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

On December 24th, my whole family get together and we celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus. We rock him, sing a special song to put him to sleep, and place him in the manger of the Nativity scene. We all bring different dishes and share a big dinner together. We play fun games, exchange gifts, and decorate the Christmas tree starting on Thanksgiving Day.

This is my Christmas tradition year after year. Merry Christmas to everyone!

The Magic Seasons

Written by Yrda from Estados Unidos

In our culture in the Dominican Republic, we begin decorating with Christmas lights at the end of October. It is also common to repaint our homes during this time and put up new curtains. We celebrate our family Christmas dinner on December 24th, which we call Nochebuena. We also exchange gifts that night.

On December 25th, we usually reheat the food from the night before. We traditionally bake pork and chicken, prepare rice with green beans, and make a mixed salad that we often color with beetroot. We also make beef-filled empanadas, as well as enjoy fruits and sweets. We share food with our closest neighbors, which is why we don’t normally need to cook on the 25th.

We also celebrate Three Kings’ Day in January 6th, which is another special holiday for us.

Why is it special to you?

It is very special to me because it reminds me of my childhood, when some of my cousins would come to my house to spend the holiday vacation with us. I also remember the happiness I felt when we played together. We didn’t worry about anything. We laughed so loudly, enjoyed the Christmas music, and were very excited to wear our new clothes and shoes, as well as our special holiday .

My Rincón

Written by Maria Dalia from Venezuela

Strong flashes of memories come to mind abaout my Cristmas time at my favorite place. It was my grandparents' Farm wheee my sisters and I grew up, called the Rincon. Christmas was the most beautiful thing we enjoyed. We would go to the mountains with my mother to cut muss and flowers to make the Nativity scene for baby Jesus. We would prepare special food tamales with pork, vegetables, chicken and meat. Salad, Ham the pork. All the people who lived in the Rincon would go to their grandparents' house to eat, play the guitar and sing Christmas carols to de Baby Jesus. My Christmases were special because my mom bought us new shoes and clothes, sweets and miniature dolls. Today, while I am in another Country beautiful for my. I long to sit in those large court yards under the starlight that illuminated our faces in my village and the only means of transportation were horses and walking.

Christmas joy

Written by Cveta from Macedonia

I am Cveta and I would like to tell you about the celebration of Orthodox Christmas. It begins with a fast on 11.28.25 and ends on 01.07.26. For the duration of the fast you give up eating:Meat, dairy products, eggs and you can’t drink alcohol . fast ends with communion in the church. During the dinner on 01.06. 26, the entire meal is lean, bread is prepared in which a coin is placed and baked, sauerkraut, fish, beans, baklava, all kinds of fruit are prepared and during the dinner, pieces of bread are distributed to each member of the family and in which the coin will be, it is believed that he will be lucky all year. Red wine is drunk and when the dinner is over, a toast is made with the sentence: Christ is Born and the answer is Truly Born.

Christmas Eve in my Childhood

Written by Katja from Germany

I have happy memories of Christmas Eve when I was a child. The ritual was always the same. In the morning, my father, my sister, and I decorated the Christmas tree together. For that, my father bought two smaller ugly trees and formed a nicer and more beautiful one. First, the lights had to be installed. We put ornaments and tinsel on the tree. In the evening, my sister and I went to our grandparents. They lived next to us. As soon as we left the house, our parents placed the presents under the tree. I was always so excited to admire my grandparents' Christmas tree. When we came home, we ate dinner together. There was potato salad and Vienna sausages. Then, we opened our presents and played games with them the whole evening until night. My memories of Christmas Eves in my childhood are filled with love and happiness.

Season of Joy

Written by KB from Vietnam

Every year, when the Joy Season arrives, my family begins decorating our home with warm lights and colorful ornaments. The air always feels a little brighter and every seems a little kinder. We bake cookies shapes like stars, play cheerful music, and laugh as we try to hang decorations perfectly—even though they usually end up crooked.

One of my favorite moments is when we gather around the tree in the evening. The lights glow softly and we share stories from the year—both happy and challenging ones. Sometimes we exchange small gifts, but the best part is simply being together. One the last night of the Joy Season, we walk outside to look at the neighborhood lights and feel thankful for everything we have. The Joy Season is special because it reminds us to appreciate the people we love. It brings warmth, kindness, and connection. Even simple things—like sharing cookies, exchanged gifts, or helping someone—feel meaningful. It’s a time when our hearts feel lighter and we remember what truly matters.

A Double Blessing at Christmas

Written by Nadiia from Ukraine

I choose Christmas because it is very special for my family. I have three sons and one longawaited daughter. My daughter was born on Christmas night, the same night when Jesus was born long ago. Because of this, we have two beautiful reasons to celebrate at the same time: the birth of Jesus and the birth of our daughter.

On this day, our home feels warm and full of love, light, and joy. We decorate the house, give gifts to each other, enjoy tasty food, laugh, and spend time together We play games, talk, and make happy memories. We also write our wishes and plans for the next year.

We thank God for our life, our family, and for His care and answered prayers. In the evening, we watch a Christmas movie, and enjoy this peaceful time.

For me, Christmas is about simple but important things: faith, family, love, and gratitude. I feel calm and thankful in my heart. I remember that Jesus was born to bring light and hope to people. This is why Christmas is so special to me and to my family.

Venezuelan typical Christmas food

Written by Oscar from Venezuela

Venezuela is a small country (about half the size of Alaska) and a young nation (founded in 1830), less than 200 years old. In the past, our native people were very itinerant (nomadic) because they lived from a rich nature: hunting and fishing. When Christopher Columbus arrived there, he described it as “a land of grace”. Today, almost all Venezuelans speak Spanish. The Country has six different regions: The Center, the West, the East, the South, the Plains, and the Andes. The food is very different in each Region, but of course, they share the same roots: Spanish cuisine and Native American cuisine.

Most dishes are common, but in each Region, there are differences in the same dish. In December, for example, all Venezuelans eat “hallacas”. As I used to say, there are many differences depending on the Region, but all are hallacas. This dish is composed of several common ingredients: first, banana leaves are used as containers for the hallacas. Other ingredients are: precooked cornmeal dough, and for the stew, a mixture of meats (beef, pork, and chicken) cooked with onion stir-fry, garlic, paprika, salt, peppers, and other vegetables, along with capers, olives, raisins, bacon, brown sugar, and a touch of sweet wine.

Getting the hallacas ready is quite a complicated process: making the filling stew, making the hallacas dough, decorating inside, wrapping the hallacas, stewing the filling inside the hallacas, preparing the hallaca dough, preparing the hallaca decoration, and finally boiling the hallacas for about 45 minutes. When I was a kid, many things were more complicated, for example, there didn´t exist precooked cornmeal dough, and it was necessary to boil de corn cobs, to shell the corn, and finally to grind the corn in an old manual machine.

As you can imagine, there are a lot of activities to do, and it is necessary to have an expert conductor to achieve a fine-tuned product. Most families have a grandmother to play that role and a large number of daughters, sons, and grandchildren to do the exquisite work. All the time, the workers were laughing, singing, shouting, listening to the Venezuelan music, especially “gaitas” and Christmas carols. All this process used to last at least 8 or 10 hours, and you could get between 100 to 150 hallacas.

Usually, Venezuelans exchange “hallacas” between families, neighbors, and even unknown strangers. It’s a beautiful tradition.

In my opinion, making hallacas is a process that represents Venezuelan culture, as it emerged from a merger of different cultures: Native, European, African, and even other American.

My First Christmas

Written by Isla Hawthorn from China

I knew western countries celebrated Christmas, and I learned the word " Christmas tree" in Chinese from Chinese newspapers and radio when I was a teenager. I had never dreamed that I could live in the U.S. and see a real Christmas tree in my life until I came to Eugene, Oregon.

I arrived in the United States one week before Christmas. On Christmas Day, an American couple invited my husband and I, along with others to their house to celebrate Christmas. When I entered the house, the living room was warm and cozy. My eyes were attracted by a fresh, colorful Christmas tree sitting on the floor, with twinkling lights and ornaments hanging on the tree. I felt that I was in paradise at that moment! I couldn’t take my eyes off the tree, and I went closer to the tree and looked at those cute, lovely ornaments!

After dinner, the wife handed a beautiful wrapped thing to me, I didn’t know it was a present. Also, I didn’t know that I was supposed to open it in front of people. My husband whispered to me, so I opened the wrapping paper. It was a tin, with a classical designed picture around the tin! I wasn’t sure what was inside. I opened the tin, there was chocolate!

That was the first time I got a Christmas gift, the first time I opened the gift with wrapping paper, the first time I saw a Christmas tree, and the first time I went to a Christmas party,

It was my memorable Christmas Day!

Now, I still have this tin.

My Christmas Tradition in Ukraine and the USA

Written by Yana from Ukraine

My name is Yana Symonova. I am from Ukraine, and I have been living in the United States for two years. Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. In Ukraine, this day is very special. We celebrate it on the 25th of December, and it is a time when the whole family comes together.

Before Christmas, we decorate the Christmas tree and prepare a traditional Ukrainian dinner with 12 dishes: kutia (sweet wheat porridge), borshch (beet soup), varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings, like pierogi), holubtsi (cabbage rolls with rice), fish, baked potatoes, pampushky (soft garlic rolls), uzvar (dried fruit drink), herring, mushroom gravy, pickled vegetables, compote (sweet fruit drink).

In Ukraine, we have many beautiful traditions. We sing Christmas songs called kolyadky, and one of the most famous is “Shchedryk” (a traditional Ukrainian song that became “Carol of the Bells” in the USA). We also love going from house to house, singing for our neighbors and bringing good wishes for the New Year.

After dinner, we exchange gifts, talk, dance, and watch Christmas movies. These family moments always feel warm and special to me.

When I moved to America, everything changed. I have lived here for two years, and I don’t have my family with me. But I try to keep my Christmas traditions alive. I still decorate my Christmas tree, cook some Ukrainian dishes, and tell my American family about our culture. We mix Ukrainian and American ways of celebrating, and it creates something new and beautiful.

In the United States, people often enjoy roast turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and Christmas cookies. I enjoy learning these traditions and celebrating in a new way.

Even though I am far from home, Christmas helps me feel connected to my roots. For me, Christmas is about love, family, and keeping traditions alive no matter where I live.

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