The Panther Post features work from talented Primavera students with a love for the arts. This month, we’re excited to share a special winter edition! We sent out a contest to our Primavera Panthers asking for their favorite holiday tradition, memory or story and got some great responses. Check out the winner’s stories below:
Favorite Holiday Stories From Our Students
“Oh, the Holidays” by Hudda Alk
Our first prize winner was Hudda, a 10th grade student who is new to Primavera. She has a unique twist to holiday traditions; read her story below!
Oh the holidays, how festive and beautiful the homes, streets, and stores look. Traditions are a big part to the holidays. It makes them 10x more special. Without traditions holidays would be the same in every household which isn’t unique.
What is my family tradition? Well I thought about this for a while. My family doesn’t exactly “do” Christmas, my grandmother is Italian and my grandfather is Palestinian, and Palestinians don’t really have Christmas. So I never grew up celebrating it. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have traditions this time of year. Once it gets close to December usually me and my cousins and all of the families go up to flagstaff when the snow starts falling.
We always go to this one lake, Lake Mary. The way we learned to love this lake is quiet funny actually. We went up to Flagstaff basically on the spur of the moment and we got lost. So we looked up the closest lake and went there for a picnic and decided to go there once a year. It is such a beautiful lake and there usually aren’t that many people there which makes it even better. The picnic tables overlooks the lake and on the other side is the forest and it’s so peaceful, even with the 20 of us running around and eating.
Over the years I’ve really noticed how time flies, since the first year we went more kids have been born and all the kids have grown up. My cousin just turned 18. Our friend started college last year. The babies are now almost 10. It kind of scares me but also it’s nice because I believe once all of us grow up and have our own kids we will still come back every year and continue the tradition.
Oh the holidays, how festive and beautiful it is. Start a tradition with your family, even if it means doing something small like having a hot cocoa movie night, trust me in a few years you’ll wish you would have started it sooner.
Holiday Tradition Story by Alexi Shepard
“Every December my family and I like to kick off the holiday season by, firstly, putting up our Christmas tree and decorations and, secondly, watching all of our favorite Christmas movies while drinking delicious hot chocolate. Personally, I love and try to get my family to play “Elf,” “The Polar Express” and “The Charlie Brown Christmas” movies each year, but I have to be fair and let them play their favorites as well. Another tradition we have is going to see “The Nutcracker” play in downtown Phoenix each year. Every year since I was 10, I’ve been to see the Nutcracker and it helps to really make me cheerful and ready for Christmas. I hope to continue these traditions onto my family when I get older.”
Other Holiday Stories From Our Students
“One thing that my family would do is that we would make cinnamon ornaments to hang on the tree. They would be made out of cinnamon, flower, and glue. well over the month of them being on the tree they would start to disappear, and we thought it was the dog or cat that was doing it. Well we were kind of right they were part of it, but my brother and sister were eating them to. How any one can eat plain cinnamon, and glue I will never know.” – Mikael H.
“My family has a small family tradition but ever since I can remember on the days leading up to Christmas we watch ‘A Christmas Story.’ It’s such a funny movie to kick things off when we decorate and plan. Whenever that video tape plays I feel very nostalgic.” – Issaac G.
“For the past few years, our tradition is to go to Flagstaff after Christmas and go on the Polar Express. My mom still surprises us with it each year and we are just as excited as the first time! We stay in a hotel for a few nights and just enjoy Christmas spending time with each other. It’s just me, my mom and younger sister so it’s really special. It’s a great thing because it gives us something to look forward to after Christmas and is a distraction from being on social media, texting, etc…which is great! The three of us are so close and we always look forward to this.” Grace
We want to hear from you!
Whether you like to write short stories, poems, movie reviews or have a passion for another form of art, your work can be featured on our Panther Post.
To apply, email [email protected] and include a brief description of your artwork or piece, a few sentences letting us know more about yourself and anything else that can tell the story of your masterpiece!
- What is your favorite holiday memory or tradition? Share with us in the comments below!
There is a tradition that my family has done every year since my older siblings were born. Every year (including my parents) we each get to open a present on Christmas Eve. That present is Pajamas. I get pajamas every Christmas Eve and it is my favorite tradition!
My family does the same thing. But now that I am older it usually is not clothes, because my mom and I have different taste in clothes. So I end up getting a movie or cd now. I love that tradition, I look forward to it every year. 🙂
My family does the same thing. I love how I get pajamas on Christmas Eve. I also love how you get to wear them and then the next morning you get to open your presents.
One tradition I have in my family is our Christmas Eve tradition. Each year, my mom gives my siblings and I a Christmas Eve box and it holds the same thing each time. When we open our boxes, we find a new Christmas pajama set, a cute mug with a hot cocoa packet inside, and a Christmas movie. After we open our boxes, we put on the pajamas, make the hot chocolate, and put in the first movie until we’ve watched them all. On Christmas morning, we open our presents from our immediate family and then go to church. After church we have Christmas brunch at my Grandma’s house and open our presents from her and all of cousins and aunts and uncles! This time of year is my favorite because we get to spend time together as a family and I also love giving presents!