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HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
RHS Falcons share their family and cultural holiday traditions
MARIAM HANNA
LIFESTYLES & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Every Christmas morning, sophomore
Eliza Farrell and her family open presents
before making the four hour drive to
Petoskey, despite the snowy weather. There,
they have Christmas dinner with Farrell’s
maternal grandparents and enjoy what
northern Michigan has to offer, such as snow
hiking, skiing and watching movies at the
local theatre.
Families all around the world, and,
more locally, at Rochester High School,
celebrate a variety of fall and winter holidays.
Among these holidays are Thanksgiving
and Christmas, and there is an abundance
of both family and cultural traditions to
celebrate these occasions.
“On Christmas Eve, we go around and
sing carols,” junior Regina Cabrera said.
“Half of the people are outside and the
other half are inside, and we sing to them.
[On Christmas], we have dinner, then we
sing to the nativity, and on the morning after
christmas, we put the baby Jesus around a
blanket.”
Cabrera has a Mexican background, so
many of her family’s holiday traditions come
from her roots. Although her family does
not participate in all Mexican traditions
over the holiday season, she does know of
a couple that others in her community do
participating in.
“Sometimes, this is something some
people do, you grab a suitcase and you run
around the house with the suitcase,” Cabrera
said. all go over to their house and have a good
For Farrell’s family, Christmas festivities
begin on Christmas Eve, not Christmas day.
She starts the holiday off by celebrating
mass at St. Phillips Episcopal Church and
partaking in the annual play.
“[On Christmas Eve,] I go to church, and
normally, my church puts on a Christmas
pageant,” Farrell said. “Normally, me and
some of the other members of my youth
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group do it and take on more of the main Savaya said. “Patcha is a Chaldean food that celebrate the season.
roles, and then we help the younger kids is usually made for holidays. It consists of “On Thanksgiving, my siblings all gather
fill in with small roles, like extra angels and rice and meat, and you put lemon on it and it at my mom’s house for a big, delicious
shepherds, and things like that. Everyone tastes so much better.” dinner,” Ms. Sherburn said. “My mom
dresses up really nicely for the Christmas Eve For Savaya, being with her loved ones spends most of the day cooking with some
service, so everyone looks really cool and over the holidays is significant and special. help from ‘the kids’. It’s weird to think that
pretty. It’s pretty at my church, too, because “I love my family and I feel it’s important we are all adults now.”
we have a huge tree.” to spend as much time with them as possible Ms. Sherburn’s family has both new
Notwithstanding the long, snowy drive because you could possibly regret not and old traditions, and one they have had
to Petoskey that Farrell’s family takes every [spending time with them] in the future,” in recent years is what they do during
Christmas morning, Farrell is fond of the Savaya said. Thanksgiving dinner.
city, especially during the holiday season. Although many individuals and families “Dinner is a time for us to reflect on
“It’s always celebrate winter things we are thankful for and to stuff our
really magical “It’s always really magical when and fall holidays, faces,” Sherburn said. “In recent years,
when you’re up not everyone does, we have been more reflective about the
there,” Farrell
you’re [in Petoskey]. It seems like and, according to origins of Thanksgiving and how important
said. “It seems something you’d see in a movie sophomore Zoya it is to spread an awareness of both
like something because the whole town is lit up. Bangash, people do Native American history and the lives of
you’d see in a [It’s] like those ones you see in not need a holiday contemporary Native Americans.”
movie because Hallmark movies.” to enjoy the season. Similar to many other families, food is a
the whole town is “We spend most big part of Ms. Sherburn’s family’s holiday
lit up, but not like our holiday break celebration. Some of the dishes her family
the downtown Eliza Farrell, sophomore with our cousins makes comes from their German ancestry.
Rochester lights, nearby,” Bangash “On Christmas morning, we open
but like those said. “We don’t presents, then spend the rest of the
ones you see usually see them afternoon cooking,” Sherburn said. “My
in Hallmark often, so it’s fun mom always makes three dishes: almond
movies.” and full of joy when we do. We [also] don’t puff, a sort of breakfast pastry, and kuga
Compared to Farrell’s Christmas have much family around, so we try to keep and pear bread, both of which are German
traditions, her family’s Thanksgiving in touch with them as often as we can.” dishes that my grandmother used to make.”
celebrations are less busy and structured. Bangash’s family is orginally from Bangash, Cabrera, Farrell, Savaya and Ms.
“For Thanksgiving, most years I end Pakistan, and their culture is embodied in the Sherburn’s traditions all encompass their
up going to my aunt’s house,” Farrell said. food Bangash shares with her family over the families, and family is significant to each one
“Me and all my cousins on my dad’s side... break. of them.
“We usually make a huge dinner and “[These traditions are] nice because I get
time. It’s always fun to have turkey, stuffing, lunch for all of us to eat,” Bangash said. “It to see my grandparents in Petoskey because
green bean casserole, and stuff like that, just usually consists of rice some kind of meat. they are two of the funniest people I’ve
heartwarming food.” This tradition started when my family and ever met in my life,” said Farrell. “Basically,
Like, Farrell, junior Nicole Savaya my uncle moved to the USA after they’ve they just help me remember how important
celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas, lived in Pakistan for their whole life.” family is to me and give me more memories
and her family’s festivities usually include Students are not the only ones who have with them.”
spending quality time together and eating special traditions for the holidays. Many
cultural food. teachers at RHS, like English teacher Ms.
1. Bangash and her younger
“[We typically eat] patcha on Christmas,” Jessica Sherburn, have different ways to cousins are enjoying their time
together over last year’s winter
break. Photo courtesy of Zoya
Bangash.
2. Savaya and her family
are celebrating someone’s
birthday. Photo courtesy of
Nicole Savaya.
3. Ms. Sherburn and her
dog posing in front of the
Christmas tree last year. Photo
courtesy of Ms. Sherburn.
3 *All other photos courtesy of
Creative Commons.