Editor’s Christmas Memories

1.) What is/was your favorite Holiday tradition?

2.) What was your favorite gift that you received as a kid?

3.) What does your holiday mean to you?  

4.) How has what you wanted when you were younger changed from what you want now? Do you view things differently?

Rebecca Sykes Sports Editor-

My parents and I travel to Mammoth every Christmas to go skiing since it is relatively quiet on the mountain that day. I have been going to Mammoth with my family since I was young and I love it there! My boyfriend just started going with us two years ago and he loves Mammoth too. I love the mountains, the clean air and being in nature. Definitely the best place to be if you are a nature lover!

I loved the Bratz Dolls I got when I was younger because of their outfits and accessories. I also loved Polly Pockets those were some of my favorite gifts.

I love getting the chance to go away with my family and especially to be somewhere with snow. I always loved the cold and I feel as if Mammoth is a perfect place to be for the holidays.

I have grown up a lot since I was younger, even when I was in high school. I used to want so many gifts for the holidays and now I realize I don’t need much. I remember in high school, I wanted so many new clothes, especially to show off once school. Now, I couldn’t care less. I have enough in life and I just want to be happy and with the ones I love. One thing I started loving since I got my first job was buying gifts for my parents. I love seeing their faces when they open their gifts, also same with my boyfriend.

Madison Scrivano A&E Editor-

My favorite holiday tradition is going to my aunt’s house with my family on Christmas Eve. I’m an only child but I come from a HUGE Italian & German family, so having all of my family and cousins around to celebrate with me is always  special.

My favorite gift I received was when I was a little older. My parents bought me some snowboarding gear, but I was confused because I didn’t have a snowboard. They told me to look under their bed for one more gift that was supposedly for my dad and when I looked, there was a brand new snowboard. I was so excited, I ended up jumping up and down while hugging my new snowboard!

Christmas to me means a time to come together with my friends and family and celebrate our love for God and for one another. I love giving people gifts because I’m usually pretty spot on about what people want, so my favorite part is seeing how excited people get about opening the presents I buy them!

What I want now versus what I wanted as a kid has obviously changed from wanting an Easy-Bake oven to more expensive items. However, I’ve noticed as I’ve grown up that I ask for less and less because I already have everything I need! Now, if Santa could bring me a job after graduation, that would be another story.

Shayne Lew Video Editor-

Now a days it seems like everybody is so caught up in their lives whether it be school, work, etc.   This is why I love the holidays.  It gives many people a reason to come together and spend time with one another.  Every Christmas morning my family gathers at my grandparents house to enjoy breakfast and open gifts together.  Everybody gets to catch up and see what is new in everybody’s crazy lives.

I still remember receiving what was probably one of my favorite christmas gifts when I was eight years old.  My parents had gotten me my first bike.  I still remember the huge smile on my face as I begged to go out and ride it right then and there.  It was my main mode of transportation for the next few years.

To me, the holidays are a time to be happy for the things you have and the people around you.  It gives people an excuse to all come together and take a break from their priorities.  We all get to spend time together, enjoy food and most of all, enjoy the presence of all of our loved ones.

When I was a little kid, I used to ask for things I wanted at the moment. Now I ask for things that I plan to have and use for years to come.  Usually something that I will not grow out of or something to help me be more productive.

Briana Osuna Features Editor-

My favorite Christmas tradition would have to be my dad reading Twas the Night Before Christmas to my siblings and I on Christmas Eve. All four of us gather around him as he reads this magical tale.Even as old as I am I still look forward to it every year.  It just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without it.

My favorite gift I received was my Samantha American Girl Doll. I wanted her more than anything. I was so excited when I woke up on Christmas morning and saw her laying under the tree. I couldn’t believe I had a doll that looked like me. I still have her sitting on my shelf.

To me, Christmas means so much more than it once did. When I was younger, I was more focused on gifts and materialistic things, but now that I am older, I see it for its true importance, which is the celebration of the birth of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of all.

When I was younger, I obviously asked for lots of things but now that I’m older, I don’t ask for anything specific. I’m more excited to see the reactions on my family’s face when they see what I got them. My family is so important to me and I love that we’re all together enjoying each others company. I just love Christmas so much, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Gayana Parsegova -Opinion Editor

Holiday celebrated- Christmas

On Christmas Eve, my younger brother and I would always leave Santa Claus some milk and cookies, or even candy. We wanted to leave him a nice treat because he worked all night delivering presents, so he can take a quick snack break at our house! On Christmas morning, we would wake up around 7 a.m. to see what swell gifts were in store for us, and then we would head on over to church for a Christmas morning service.

Growing up I was what they called a “Pokemon Master.” So anything Pokemon related was always the biggest treat for me to receive. I loved getting Pokemon decks or booster packs of cards, or just a Pokemon game for my Gameboy Color made my soul just jump up for joy.

When I look at the word Christmas, I think of it as CHRISTmas. Christmas to me means, my Saviour Christ came into the world and saved all of mankind. It’s a reminder that I have a God that loved me so much, he brought his only begotten Son into the world just to save us from all our sins.

As a child, I thought in a materialistic way. Mainly because I was obsessed with everything and any anything Pokemon, especially the latest games. Now as an adult, I never really want any presents. I just want to be surrounded with good company to spend this day with and I couldn’t ask or want for anything more.

Karen Ambrocio- News Editor

My favorite holiday tradition is staying up late to open Christmas presents. On Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) after my family has eaten we would open our presents. My favorite Noche Buena meals are tamales, champurrado and flan. Opening presents is traditionally done on Christmas morning but I always felt special not doing it on the day it’s supposed to be. I love following my Mexican culture and tradition, celebrating Noche Buena and Navidad to me is more special doing it in Mexico because the majority of my family lives over there.

I loved playing with Bratz dolls and receiving Bratz was always so exciting. Anything related to Bratz: clothes, shoes or accessories. I grew up playing with dolls. I loved dressing them up and fixing their hair. I remember my younger brother and I would always play with my dolls even though my dad never wanted him to play with “girl” toys.

Noche buena means unity and familia to me. To my family it has religious meaning but to me it’s more of uniting la familia.

It’s changed a lot. When I was younger, I know what I wanted. Right now, if someone were to tell me, “What do you want for Christmas?” I don’t know how to answer them. I view things differently now, I only wanted dolls when I was young; I’ve matured I don’t view materialistic items as crucial anymore.

Sierra Contreras- Layout and Design Editor

Every Christmas morning began with hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls were prepared the night before, and then baked in the morning. All the window drapes pulled shut, the only light coming from the fireplace and the Christmas tree in a bed of presents. We take turns giving our gifts to each other, laughing and smiling between sips of hot chocolate. That’s our holiday tradition.

I was a lucky child. My parents were able to afford a splendorous Christmas ‒ perhaps to make up for the Christmas days in their childhoods. I received many things growing up, from lego sets to mascara, but my most treasured Christmas gift would have to be my first drawing tablet. My major is Arts & Tech, and drawing has been a passion of mine since before I can remember. Growing up, wanting to do something with art as a career wasn’t encouraged. But when my parents bought me a drawing tablet ‒ it changed everything. They wanted me to go after my passion, and I haven’t stopped since.

For me, Christmas is about love. All kinds of love ‒ family love, love between friends, and romantic love. Love for the world, love for life, love for imagination and creativity. It’s a celebration of everything good in the world, and giving gifts is nearly the best part! I personally love giving gifts to those I care about, and seeing them open my gift to them is just as wonderful as receiving a gift from them. It’s nice to get things, of course, but the act of giving gifts means something greater ‒ it symbolizes your connection with that person.

As a child, I wanted the latest lego set or the next video game I’d been waiting oh so long for. Now, I’m still waiting on Kingdom Hearts III! Jokes aside, I find myself vastly more appreciative of gifts. Young me had a distaste for more practical gifts ‒ clothes, for example ‒ but now I’d nearly die if someone gave me a cute rug! Not because I have a thing for carpets, but because I need one for the bathroom. Now I understand that when someone gives you what you need (or think you need), it means they’ve been paying attention to you. It means they care.