With the semester winding down, students’ excitement for the upcoming break is palpable. For most it means spending time with family and/or eating favorite holiday foods (especially desserts).

UWL freshman Lexi Short’s favorite seasonal food is her family’s fudge. “A tradition we do,” she said, “is my cousins and I do a gift exchange on Christmas Eve.”

Holiday festivities don’t have to revolve around Christmas Day; some of them start before December even begins.

For UWL Junior Maddie Kittleson, Christmas decorating starts right after Thanksgiving. She says, “My family always gets our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. For Christmas my family and I make monkey bread, [which is] the only time we eat it during the year.” Despite that, it isn’t her favorite holiday food. “My favorite food would probably just be sugar cookies,” she explained.

For many students, the food they most look forward to are the sweets. Reese Banta, Freshman, said, “My grandma makes pretzels dipped in white chocolate and I love those.”

This is the prime time of the year for home-cooked meals and catching up with family after months of hard work. Banta’s family expounds on this Christmas Eve in front of the TV watching home videos.

Decorating the Christmas tree with family is one of freshman Kaitlyn Stroik’s traditions: “We always decide what type of theme we want it to be. We also go to church on Christmas Eve and then over to my grandparents’ house.” The 25th finds them hanging out at home with bellies full of cinnamon rolls.

Another Freshman, Luke Zoroufy, also loves breakfast food: “On Christmas morning my mother makes a lemon poppyseed roll with a ham sandwich.”

Zoroufy also went on to say, “On Christmas Eve, my family and I have a Christmas meal with my immediate family, my grandmother and my great grandmother, who is 96. We have been doing that as long as I’ve been alive.”

During the festivities and break, it is always good to spend time with family and to reconnect with people one doesn’t see around UWL. It’s also important to remember that there are multiple other holidays celebrated this time of year; Christmas is just the one that holds the monopoly.  Be thankful for those around you and the opportunities you have!