Winter break is a time of rejuvenation, a time to bond with family and friends and start anew as the New Year rolls in to hopeful cheers. For the students of Old Rochester Regional High School, Christmas vacation offers more than just a much-needed break from the constant flurry of activity revolving around school. It offers students a chance to celebrate their family traditions and enjoy some time to reflect on the past year in order to create a resolution to uphold during the New Year.
For many, Christmas remains a day to celebrate their religion with loved ones.
“My family always goes to visit my grandparents and we have a family priest that does a private mass for us,” said Erin Costa about her family traditions. “And then we come back to our house and watch It’s a Wonderful Life for every Christmas Eve.”
Christmas traditions for every family are special and unique, but the focal point of the holiday seems to be family.
“We usually have my Uncle over for Christmas Eve and eat fish,” said Victoria MacLean. “Christmas day we have a huge dinner with turkey and chicken, and my dad’s entire side of the family comes over. Then, we go home, we light the Christmas tree, and right before we go to bed, we always read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.”
Christmas is a time of renewed hope, and people young and old can’t resist giving in to the magical wonders of Christmas. Young children ask Santa for the newest models of toys and video games, but students at ORR had different wishes for the holiday season.
“For Christmas, I would like to not be sick this year,” said Costa. “Also, possibly a white Christmas, because it’s December and we need snow now.”
Wishes for a healthy and happy year were popular hopes among students. (Also popular were money and cars among upperclassmen).
But now that the Christmas festivities have drawn to a close, New Year’s Eve is quickly approaching. Whether going to parties or staying home for New Year’s, people everywhere are upholding the age-old tradition of ringing in the New Year with a resolution to better themselves. Students at Old Rochester are no exception.
For many, the New Year will be a year of physical health and embracing the world of nature around us. In a world of technology, appreciating nature is becoming more and more difficult, which leads us to Emily Newell’s resolution:
“[My resolution is] to hike and camp more, be outside more,” Newell said.
But physical health isn’t the only thing the students of Old Rochester hope to improve in the upcoming year. Many hope to change their entire view on life, as Griffin Dunn’s resolution shows:
“[My resolution is] to be a more optimistic person.”
And then there are those who want to improve on their artistic talents going into the New Year. One of Emma Cadieux’s resolutions is to start her own art portfolio. But drawing and painting isn’t the only form of art Old Rochester students wish to work on. “To practice my saxophone” was Mary Roussell’s resolution.
But, in general, the resolutions aimed mostly toward bettering the mental, physical, and spiritual health of the individual. MacLean’s resolution sums up the purpose of these resolutions: “To be happy and get stronger.”
And for those of us out there struggling to make a resolution – especially with the foreboding knowledge that it’s nearly impossible to keep said resolution – just remember that the New Year doesn’t require changing everything about you. It’s a chance to reflect upon the previous year and look forward in the hopes that next year will be better. I leave you with the hopeful words of poet Edith Lovejoy Pierce: “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”
By Sienna Wurl