As holiday season arrives, with it come various family traditions.

“The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, my family and I go to a Christmas shop in the Outer Banks,” said sophomore Annabelle Goll. “Everyone in our family picks out a new ornament for decorating the tree.”

Some families have multiple traditions, such as sophomore Scott Waters’ family.

“We open one present at twelve,” said Waters. “The kids in our family make the grandparent’s stockings, the grandparents make the parent’s stockings, and the parents make the kid’s stockings. We go to a 4 p.m. church service, and leave out cookies and hot chocolate for ‘Santa.’

“We used to open half our presents at home and the other half at our grandma’s house,” said Waters. “But my grandma died so we don’t do that anymore.”

Christmas isn’t the only winter holiday at this time of year. Hanukkah also brings its traditions.

Hanukkah is the festival of lights, when the Greeks tore down the Jewish temples and would not let them openly celebrate their religion, the Maccabees fought back.

 The eight day tradition of the holiday comes from the eight days that the candle was light. Every night during Hanukkah, a prayer is said, as another candle is lit. The candles are placed on a Menorah.

Some Hanukkah traditions include playing dreidel, and eating traditional foods. Presents are given out during Hanukkah, but not like Christmas.

“You’re only supposed to receive one or two big gifts,” said sophomore Lizzy Merin. “The rest of them are little trinkets and stuff, so it is not at all like Christmas.”

Other traditions are not as extensive.  Some are as small as sophomore Emma Evans’ tradition where she visits a website that tracks Santa.

Sophomores Merin and Sara Hawes go to the movies as part of their traditions.

“We don’t celebrate Christmas,” said Merin. “So every Christmas my family goes to the movies and eats Chinese food.”

“We also go to the movie theater on Christmas,” said Hawes. “It’s weird because no one does.”