With the holidays approaching, I find myself chasing that warm fuzzy feeling that this season used to bring me. The elementary traditions, the white Christmases, the nostalgic movies. Do you feel that the holidays are the same as they used to be? Have you formed new traditions since then?
Unfortunately, as I get older, I find myself reminiscing about Christmas as a child without living in the current moment. I feel I will forever be chasing a feeling that I cannot retrieve again. As we say goodbye to our childhood, we should take a stroll down Christmas memory lane. Do you remember these memories as a child?
- Polar Express Pajama Day
My Christmas pajamas were laid out, perfectly unwrinkled, the night before. On the final day of school before break, we had our annual Christmas pajama party. I can describe it as nothing short of magical: the hot chocolate, the excitement. Every year, my teacher would stream “The Polar Express” on the projector, handing out a “Golden Ticket” for us to use. I can recall hanging it on my fridge, clinging to the possibility that the train might visit me later that night. “It’s very nostalgic to think about. I remember that day very well. The hot chocolate was Supreme,” says Robyn Young, a senior.
- Santa Tracker
Whether it was the app or the channel, Santa Tracker was a vital part of my childhood. Watching the animation on the screen, tracing Santa around the globe, the adrenaline was unbeatable! The platform offered Christmas singalongs, children’s books, and a Christmas countdown. I’ll never forget watching the reindeer guide Santa through the foggy night, knowing he was approaching soon.
- Elf on The Shelf
One morning, I noticed a peculiar gnome-like figure perched on my shelf. “Who is this?” I asked my mom. “An Elf,” she responded, “she reports back to Santa every night about your behavior for the day.” It sounded menacing, of course, but that elf became my best friend! We wrote notes to each other, she bought me gifts, she hid in fun places and played an exciting daily game of hide and seek. “My elf stopped moving one day. I was excited to look for him every morning,” says a BHS sophomore, male. “Sometimes he didn’t come. My mom told me he stayed out late at the bar some nights.”
- Santa Shop
Do you remember the annual Santa Shop at school where we could shop for our families? The custom wrapping, the suspense as I hid the gifts beneath the tree, it truly was a heartwarming tradition! The shelves were lined with cheap antiques that seemed so valuable at the time. The possibilities seemed almost endless, as I found the excitement as we wrapped the gifts in class in intense anticipation to show it to our parents.
- Santa Hospitality
My mom always told me that, because we had no chimney, Santa had to come through the door. This evoked sympathy within me, knowing I was hindering Santa’s “traditional” routine. I figured that if I created the most welcoming environment for Mr. Claus, he wouldn’t be so disconcerted. This included fresh carrots in the front and back yard, warm cookies and milk laid out, a nice letter, and a snow path cleared just for him. As I fell asleep on Christmas Eve, I could’ve sworn I could hear the click-clack of the reindeer’s hooves on my roof; I hope my carrots fueled them.
- Holiday Sing-Along
In retrospect, I guess we weren’t the Mariah Careys we thought ourselves to be, but the annual Holiday Sing Along was a heartwarming avenue to the Holiday break. Children crowded the gymnasium floor in their Christmas pajamas, singing their favorite holiday tunes to their parents in the crowd. From Christmas classics such as Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”, to his Hawaiian rendition “Mele Mlikimaka” (absolutely crushed by a teacher on the bongos), the students explored a wide range of cultures within the Christmas spirit. Just as the sing-along wrapped up, the students ventured into the snowy bus line to take a ride home for the holidays.
New Traditions
As I struggle with the turbulence of watching my youth slip away, I find myself engulfed in new traditions, ones I’ll miss when I’m even older. No, I know I’ll no longer stay up late tracking Santa Claus anymore, but I’ve found ways to keep the warm fuzzy feeling alive. Some of these traditions include holiday drinks, visits to Bronner’s in Frankenmuth, attending the Winterfest, and Black Friday shopping for the holidays. Just because we are growing older doesn’t mean the Christmas spirit is gone for good. It is always possible to develop new traditions that keep our hearts nice and warm for the Christmas season.
