While it might be considered a Haverford holiday tradition to enjoy “Sleigh Ride,” performed with flare by the Wind Ensemble during an extended homeroom a few days before break, or to start clapping just a little bit faster than usual with hopes that the band with speed up to a raucous pace, many students also have unique traditions of their own for the holiday season.
From the simple and classic to the unique and unconventional, Haverford students take part in a number of lasting memories.
“We’re Jewish, but on Christmas my family does what we imagine Christmas is supposed to be. We go to my grandparents’ house and light a fire. We buy eggnog. None of us like eggnog, so we just end up throwing it out. We have Hannukah stockings with a little Star of David on each one.” — Junior, Gabe Ullman“We do the seven fishes. There’s a certain kind you’re actually supposed to do in the traditional Italian thing, but we just do different seafood like crab and lobster. I like lobster the best because it’s expensive and I’m a classy guy.” –junior, Santino Campese
“We eat orange danish every Christmas. Pillsbury stopped making it, though, so I’m not sure what we’re going to do this year. My mom tried making it, but my dad said that he liked the Pillsbury version better. It’s really a point of contention.” –sophomore, Vivi Feiser“My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas or any holiday during this time of year. I go to Pittsburgh. I eat a gingerbread house. I don’t eat the gingerbread, though. I just take the candy off and eat it.” –junior, Vipul Kapoor“Every Christmas my family has a party and everyone brings something from their house that they don’t use anymore or never used. We got a gallon of maple syrup last year.” –junior, Kayla Fili“Every year my mom’s best friend comes over with her three little boys and we have a gingerbread baking competition. We buy the gingerbread, but it’s fun.” –junior, Kylie VanLuvender“Each member of my family buys a dollar gift and brings it to Christmas. We sit around and my aunt reads a story; every time the story says, “left,” we pass the gift to our left. Then, when it ends, that’s our gift.” –senior, Jonas Jean-Claude“On Christmas Eve my family and I drive around looking at all of the lights; then we order Chinese food because it’s one of the only things open. Christmas Day is really boring for me though, being Jewish, because no one else can ever hang out.” –junior, Rachel Bronstein (pictured, at left, with junior, Caitlyn Dougherty)“My mom buys an extra gift and then hides this pickle ornament in our Christmas tree. The first person to find the pickle gets the gift. She also did the whole “Elf on a Shelf” thing before it was popular. We used to have this troll that she would put around the house. We thought it moved on its own.” –senior, Matt Baranello“On Christmas Eve every member of my 30 plus family gets together and has ham and a random assortment of food.” –junior, Will Malone“My sister Cat and I have to clean up the presents after we all open them. Then my parents go to a six hour church service because they’re Russian Orthodox. The upside is the fact that I get to have the house to myself for six hours which is pretty fantastic.” –junior, Tori Yusibova“When we were little my parents let us have a Christmas tree, but it’s not really a Korean thing, so we don’t do it anymore.” –junior, Joel Jang (pictured at left with junior, Dan Lawrey)
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