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~Winter Holiday Edition~
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By Geddy Hindman
Traditions Among the
Many at Les Bois.
The bell rings and it’s Winter Break! You can’t wait to get home so you can celebrate the holiday season with your friends and family. You know what some of your friends are doing for Christmas but you can’t help but wonder how similar what we do is to what people do from other countries. As you’re waiting around in excitement for festivities to begin, you start to think about what others may be awaiting and getting hyped up about.
Well basically, I’m here to tell you what different people will be celebrating and doing while the Winter wind rages on. A few people will decide to go see some of their grandparents or other family members while others will see their friends. Then there is the food (my personal favorite part of holidays). Some have special dishes that have become their traditions over time. In Norway, they eat lots of meat like pig bellies and gingerbread. But in Japan, KFC is a huge Kurisumasu (Christmas) tradition for many families. At Les Bois Tanner Roberts speaks of a breakfast casserole that he looks forward to every Christmas. In Russia they eat caviar, eggs, and roast goose during the holidays. What do the children do in these places though? Some from Les Bois open presents placed underneath the tree on Christmas morning along with the stockings filled with goodies. But in the Netherlands, kids await Sinterklaas to leave their shoes out for him (called Shoen Zetten) to put treats in with snacks left out for his horse. In Japan they decorate with lights and get one big gift they get from Santa-San.
Now after hearing some of these festivities, you may want to partake in some yourself along with your own traditions. Such as eating KFC, decorating with lights, or visiting your grandparents. Now maybe you can go home with more ideas for how to spend your Winter Vacation.
(Sinterklaas from Dutch Tradition.)
(Shoen Zetten from the Netherlands Tradition)
(Japanese Christmas KFC tradition)
Jingle Bell Rock
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
All I want for Christmas is You
Wonderful Christmastime
Little Drummer Boy
Mary Did You Know
Hark of the Bells
You mean one, Mr. Grinch
- By Briar Poletasio
college commercial-12/12/2025, 2:20 PM.mp4College CommerCial
College CommerCial
A commercial made with the purpose to enlighten about the perks and benenfits of seeking a college education.
The Joys Of Christmas You Did Not Know!
By: Briar Poletasio
Have you ever wondered where all of the festivities for Christmas came from? Because I know I have. Did you know . . . There are countless ways to celebrate Christmas, blending traditional Christian observances (church, nativity scenes) with secular fun (decorating trees, carols, Santa, movies), global customs (saunas in Finland, roller skating to church in Venezuela, KFC in Japan), and personal/modern ideas like volunteering, themed parties, or creative gift exchanges, making it a deeply personal mix of faith, family, culture, and community.
Wait, have you ever had Nutmeg? Because I have noticed that nutmeg is “The thing you need to have on Christmas”. According to the website “Spice Up The Holidays With Nutmeg”, Nutmeg became a Christmas staple because its tropical, warm, and sweet aroma/flavor became associated with wealth and festive feasting in historical, cold climates, and it is commonly used in holiday treats like eggnog and gingerbread! This item was considered very, very expensive. If you had it, you would be considered rich. It was a luxury item.
Also, according to “Why Do We Decorate Christmas Trees?”, I learned that we decorate our Christmas trees because trees symbolize hope, life, and renewal during the winter season, a tradition with roots in ancient pagan festivals and later christian beliefs. They decorate them as a way to bring family together, celebrate the holiday, and express joy and nostalgia.
Also, did you know how the BIGGEST, BEST-EST, AND BRIGHTEST FESTIVE colors -- red and green -- became Christmas colors? The association of red and green with Christmas comes from a mix of pagan traditions, Christian symbolism, and modern commercialization. Pagan cultures used evergreen plants like holly, which has red berries and green leaves, during winter solstice celebrations to symbolize life. Later, Christianity incorporated these colors, with green representing eternal life and red symbolizing the blood of Christ. The modern association was solidified by 19th and 20th-century advertising, including Coca-Cola's popularization of Santa Claus in his red suit (according to “How Red And Green Became The Colors Of Christmas”).
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