It is that time of the year when the holiday season begins and families and friends come together to celebrate festive events like Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. For some, these festivities mean a small family gathering and for others they include a large celebration with one’s family and numerous relatives, both close and distant. What is important, however, is the joyful spirit that everyone shares with the start of the holidays, and the ASB community is unquestionably full of excitement.
Here at ASB, the buildings and recess spaces are already filling with decorations, and a Christmas tree has been situated on the second floor of the high school, with detailed ornaments hanging from its branches. Other decorations include a winter-themed photobooth, balloons shaped like candy canes, and snowflakes stuck on the window of the classrooms. The school and the Parent Association (PA) certainly delivered with their decorations the school grounds and buildings. Clearly, their hard work and dedication paid off, as many ASB students are enjoying sharing in the holiday spirit.
Another essential part of holiday celebrations is tradition. Whether it be buying advent calendars or hosting festive dinners, almost every family has some sort of tradition that they take part in during the winter holidays; so do the students in the ASB community. A ninth grader explained, “Every year, my parents and I decorate the Christmas tree, and we also exchange gifts.” Many other families at ASB also share these two traditions. Another student revealed, “My parents don’t buy me gifts anymore, but my cousins, siblings, and I usually host Secret Santa [a game in which classmates, friends, or family members give each other presents]. Last time I got snacks and a snow globe.” These examples demonstrate just how far family traditions and celebrations can go.
One significant tradition that is celebrated here at the American School of Barcelona is a classroom game titled Secret Santa (mentioned in the paragraph above). As the holidays approach, each student in a class writes their name on a piece of paper; afterwards, the papers are mixed together, and every student picks a different piece of paper with another student’s name on it. Then, each person has to purchase a present for the classmate they got, leaving small gifts for them from time to time. At the end of winter break, students exchange the presents, which concludes the festive activity. Overall, the members of the ASB community enjoy this process, and one student explained that “I like doing Secret Santa, because I enjoy giving gifts, and it’s also really fun because you get to know your classmates and their interests better.” Overall, this annual gifting tradition is a success, and continues to be enjoyed by ASB students year after year.
But one of the most important parts of the holiday season is the act of giving and receiving gifts. At our school, there are multiple occasions on which students can give help and be kind to others; initiatives including the food drive, organized by the high school Student Council, and the winter toy drive, for underprivileged children in Barcelona, are currently being undertaken.
Overall, it is certain that the ASB community is excited for the holidays, and participating in many different traditions when it comes to festive winter events. Whether it be by exchanging gifts or drinking hot chocolate, decorating a tree or baking gingerbread cookies, students here at ASB are definitely excited to have fun during Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other festive celebration. No matter what you celebrate, we are all united by the holiday mood; these moments bring our ASB family together. Happy holidays!