With the holidays upon us, celebrations look different for everybody. Douglass has such a diverse population, so we asked students about the traditions they do around this time.
Bianca Sanchez Barrera is a student here from Ecuador and she told us about the New Year’s tradition that she celebrates. To ring in the New year in Ecuador, every New Year’s eve people participate in burning dummies to burn away the old year and welcome new things. Bianca says, “On New Year’s Eve my family gets together and we burn dummies as a way of getting rid of bad energy in the past year to leave room for good moments in the upcoming year.”
Another student at Douglass, Janyss Torres Flores, is from Mexico and she celebrates a holiday called Las Posadas. Essentially, Las Posadas is a re-enactment of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlelem and the birth of baby Jesus. We asked Janyss how she and her family celebrate this holiday and she said, “My family and I go door to door with a baby Jesus and we sing and have fun with one another.”
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated in December. This holiday lasts for 8 days and it is also known as the festival of lights. Hanukkah celebrates a military victory of the Jews over foreign rulers. We asked freshman Anna Mandell her favorite things about this holiday and she said, “Around Hanukkah my family makes lots of different foods like potato pancakes, also known as latkes. I get presents for eight nights while lighting the menorah and saying a prayer.”
Krampus originated in Germany and people who celebrate it believe that he is Santa’s evil brother. Typically, children leave their left shoe on the porch and if the shoe was filled with coal, you would not get any presents. If the shoe was filled with candy, it determines that you were good and that you are getting presents. A student here at Douglass, Abby Crowe says, “I enjoy waking up on Christmas day and getting to see whether or not my shoe is filled with candy or coal!”