Throughout many parts of the world, the winter months have, since ancient times, been a time for celebration. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or simply enjoy the holiday season for shopping and time off school, many people today see the holidays as an opportunity to take part in things that are only done once a year. Bronx Science students are no exception, as the holiday season allows for us to enjoy our annual traditions.

One thing many people enjoy about the holidays is the food. Many people have large feasts with their friends and family, often making an abundance of food that yields leftovers for days or weeks to come. “We have a holiday dinner with relatives. Usually it’s just my family and another two or three relatives. They bring some food but we make most of it. We bought a hundred pastelitos this year,” Frank Acosta ’19 said.

Not only is there plenty to eat, the holidays also provide a good opportunity to spend time with our families. Thanks to the time we get off school, many of us go on vacation, stay home with our families, or travel to visit relatives during our break.

Not only is there plenty to eat, the holidays also provide a good opportunity to spend time with our families. Thanks to the time we get off school, many of us go on vacation, stay home with our families, or travel to visit relatives during our break. “This year is going to be my last Christmas before college. I’m trying to cherish each moment even more, and my family is too. So we’ve been making a list of the things I like to do (i.e. go grocery shopping with my mom on Sundays after church) and been making sure to do them at least once,” Angie Yang ’19 said.

Bronx Science is a diverse community with people of many different backgrounds coming together. Not all of us celebrate Christmas, but the general idea of the holidays being a time to eat, spend time with those who matter to us, and enjoy time off school is still the same. “We light candles, eat latkes and exchange presents for Hanukkah. The best part is finally getting some time off and hanging with friends and family,” Jared Samarel ’19 said.

In addition to the various cultural practices of our student body, Bronx Science itself has its own holiday traditions. One of these is the S.O. Winter Wonderland. The cafeteria is meticulously decorated, and a D.J. plays music during the lunch periods. “A lot of the materials didn’t arrive in time so we had to make do. Ayesha and I, the other head of the event, were fortunate enough to come up with some creative solutions, but it never would have worked out without the help of our fellow cabinet members and the other Senate volunteers. From what I saw and heard, everyone appeared to really appreciate the event,” Li Chai Epperson ’19 said, a member of S.O. and one of the chairs of the event.

We hope that the holiday season has brought joy to you and that you now look forward to a Happy New Year!