This year’s winter holidays are celebrated under quarantine rules as coronavirus cases continue to climb, restricting students like Alysa Basmadzhyan to traditionally gather with her family.  

“We usually celebrate Christmas with our entire family,” freshman Basmadzhyan said. “My family loves huge celebrations during the holidays but that can’t happen this year.”

As December holidays approach, students are unable to have the safe opportunities to feast with other family members and take part in traditional holiday activities. Alongside the rest of the world, this year’s festivities are strictly held and celebrated at home to uphold the pandemic’s safety protocols. This holiday season may be the most uneventful one yet, with the many restrictions on account of quarantine. 

“Usually we go over to my uncle’s house,” freshman Christian Mateo said. “We celebrate there but we can’t this year because of the coronavirus.” 

Even though families are honoring the stay-at-home orders during the holidays, Basmadzhyan feels as though quarantine shouldn’t be in the way of celebrating Christmas merrily. 

“My family and I are making our  home as celebratory as possible,” Basmadzhyan said. “I feel like putting up a huge Christmas tree and decorating the rest of the house with festive decorations will just lighten the mood.”

With the holidays comes brighter vibes. Staying at home may seem boring but this gives an opportunity to reconcile with your family and spend quality time with them during this troubled era. Students like Mateo believe that one of the positives of staying home during the holidays is actually worthwhile.

“Spending time at home with my family is what I’m looking forward to this holiday season,” Mateo said. 

Since junior Lauren Mills’ step-family are Jewish, she gets to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas during this festive season honoring two holidays.

“We’re listening to Christmas music and getting a tree,” Mills said. “For Hanukkah, we’re going to do the typical things associated (with it including the) dreidel (and) jelly donuts.”

Tradition is also significant during these celebratory times, as it signifies life and meaning to the holidays. Both Basmadzhyan and Mills seem to find their festive moods when getting and decorating their Christmas tree. Having a Christmas tree in the house brings joy to Basmadzhyan knowing that the time to celebrate is soon to come. 

“My mom just loves to buy a grand tree with to-die-for decorations,” Basmadzhyan said. “The tree is the most aesthetic and pleasing part of Christmas and the New Year.”