Warmer Hearts

Little winter moments bring family closer than ever during a season full of frosty fun and never ending memories. The simple joy of family all around, the little moments that warm the coldest days, beautiful chaos of families sharing their connections and bond between one another, drifting from family and friends to share the gentle magic winter brings to students. Winter brings sweet traditions together.

“I usually spend winter break with my family and go out with my friends,” sophomore Camila Ramirez said. “I hang out with my friends because I enjoy going out with them and just having more time to myself with people I can truly connect with. I like hanging out with my family because we all truly come together during winter and show our appreciation toward one another. My family is truly important to me, especially my parents because they work so hard and my sisters, who I’m really close to, really let me truly express who I am as a person.”

Alongside spending time with family and friends, there’s another important part of the season: Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, celebrated with Mexican culture.

“I’m Mexican, and in my culture, we usually celebrate on Christmas Eve instead of the actual day,” Ramirez said. “We give our gifts and spend the day with family and friends by spending quality time together and playing games together as we share our laughter and memories with each other. I love it because everyone is so joyful. It feels truly off from a movie.”

As the holiday season unfolds there’s a tradition that stands out the most, a dish that always makes its way into the spotlight and brings the most joy.

“My favorite holiday dish is definitely tamales,” Ramirez said. “They feel so warm and I could feel how much love it was made with. I like a lot of savory food rather than sugary ones, especially the way my mom makes tamales every Christmas. It is a special memory when it comes to eating this food. I remember when I was five eating it, that was when my mom really started making them every year. Since it’s cold outside, we usually pair it with a warmer drink as well.”

Some years the kitchen stays quiet. Sometimes it’s fun to skip the pots and pans and simply go out and enjoy a meal with the ones you love.

“It mostly depends on what my mom feels like cooking on Christmas Day,” Ramirez said. ”Me and my family go out to eat somewhere nice like Texas Roadhouse or Olive Garden. My favorite thing about all of it is being with my family because they always try to make every holiday special for everyone and cherish every memory we make along the way each holiday.”

There’s always one tradition that returns every winter, the tradition families always have time to do as they look forward to it every winter.

“We traditionally leave cookies and milk for Santa just in case he comes,” freshman Sergio Burleson said. “Even though I know he’s not real, we still wait for him to eat his cookies and drink his milk and bring our gifts. Then the next morning we all wake up bright and early to run downstairs to see what Santa had brought us.”

As the days unfold, when the weather allows they find themselves drawn outdoors. No winter is complete without getting ready for their favorite outdoor activities.

“As a family, we build a snowman when there’s snow outside,” Burleson said. “We mostly like outside activities. When we do have snow we have snowball fights. I find them really fun to do with my family because we get to express our joy and have fun with each other sharing our love and laughter. Getting to see everyone having so much fun makes you truly warm on the inside.”

Beyond the activities and decorations, making family time special is the little thing people treasure the most among all winter traditions.

“It’s so much fun being able to spend quality time,” Burleson said. “We’ll roast smores and watch as many Christmas movies as we can together, I love doing this with my family. I love being able to express our true selves around each other and laugh at funny jokes, and bonding over movies and the love we have for everyone. They are my biggest joy and pride as they let me be who I am and I don’t have to act like someone different.”

After meals and family excitement they dive into the laughter. family that makes christmas truly memorable through competition of family Christmas games.

“We play Uno, dominoes, and spades,” junior Jayden Banks said. “It’s stuff we can do as a family and get together. It really brings out our competitive sides with one another and just spreads love among everyone. Despite being competitive we all have fun and love everyone.”

Families eagerly gather around the living room not just for laughter and joy, but to dive into cherished games as they get competitive during a fun game.

“On the day of Christmas, we play a lot of games,” senior Mya Villarreal said. “We play a mix of card games, Uno, the new What Do You Meme? My favorite one would be Monopoly because I like board games. It’s something where we can sit around the table with the family and have fun. Even when it gets intense during games we still show so much respect and love around each other. It makes me feel adored and cherished around everyone because of how supportive everyone is and how kind we all are to each other.” 

Students imagine new ways to make holidays special and meaningful with new activities and the chance to create new lasting memories together.

“I would start baking with my family since we don’t really bake very often,” senior Nevaeh Banda said. “Last year I baked a bunch of pan dulce for everybody and the neighbors around my house, and I would like to start doing that as a family and handing it out to people around us. As a Christmas treat I like helping people and being kind, because at the end of the day you’ll never know if they have anything for Christmas. That one bread can make a difference to them. You never know what someone is going through. Be kind. Life is too short. Do it with your family and hand out some Christmas spirit.”

Families also have their own way of handling gifts, adding another layer of joy.

“We all do wish lists,” Banda said. “We have a family group chat where we send it to each other, and then we send it to our relatives out of the country. We make wish lists for the family that aren’t super close to us but we will usually also do Secret Santa with them, because even if we aren’t as close to them they are still family so they matter. No one deserves to be left out of anything just because you aren’t as close to them as you are to the others around you.”

During breaks from usual activities and routines, family comes together and fills the home with happiness, making every shared moment special.

“I feel happy when spending time with my family during winter break,” sophomore Analy Castaneda said. “I just get to be with the people I love the most, and that makes me really happy. Every memory I share with them is always filled with laughter, silliness, and sometimes happy tears, especially after seeing people I wish I could see more. Even if I have to drive far it will always be worth it for my family. Every single time I’m with them I feel free like a large weight is lifted off of my chest. I feel relaxed and at peace.”

While holidays are full and exciting with all the joy and laughter, they always return to what is most important: being together as a family.

“It’s the people you love,” Banks said. “You want to spend as much time as possible with them because they have always loved you and supported you. Every holiday is something memorable because you’re with the people you’ve been around since birth. My family is the most important, so being able to see everyone at least every holiday is special.”

The holiday season is always more than just the gifts and beautiful decor. It represents the deeper meaning of valuing connection with family.

“What is most important about holiday seasons is getting to spend time with your family,” Castaneda said. “People you love that are always there for you and that love you for who you are is so important. It’s all about being with family and making new memories. Through the years, you and your family have been together sharing the oldest memories into the new memories you created together. I think that is truly beautiful when you bond over memories from laughter, tears, or joy.”