Harper Kelly (’25) and her younger sister Quinn Kelly (’30) light their menorah on the sixth night of Hanukkah. On the left is a younger Harper, who was very excited to open presents on Christmas day. Harper and her family celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas each winter. She highlights a unique family tradition where her “two religions converge” through the special way they make their “Christmas crack.” Harper explains that “Christmas crack is this dessert you make with saltine crackers and you put on butter and sugar and cover it with chocolate chips. But, traditionally my family makes it with matzah instead of saltine crackers. It’s a way of taking a traditional Christmas recipe and incorporating Jewish ingredients.” This year, Harper felt celebrating Hanukkah was especially meaningful: “With everything that’s been going around with anti-semitism and October 7th I think it’s so important to recognize that part of myself. And I think that getting to celebrate Hanukkah and light the candles and be with my family is the best way that I can do that because it’s such a great party of my identity.”

Clara Xiao (’24) and her family enjoy an array of traditional dishes on Chinese New Year. Each year, her family wears red to dinner since it’s the color of good fortune. They eat fish and dumplings, foods that also symbolize good luck. Above, Clara is pictured holding a stuffed rabbit to celebrate the year’s zodiac, a traditional system based on the Chinese calendar that works in a twelve-year cycle. Her favorite New Year traditions are decorating the house with big calligraphy-adorned red banners–and setting off firecrackers. “But really,” she says, “my favorite tradition is being around the table with my family and having time to celebrate our heritage.” Clara most looks forward to her mom’s homemade dumplings, a recipe from her grandmother. This year, she hopes to step away from her usual dough-folding duty and get more involved in the cooking process. 

Patrick Ritter (25’) is pictured with his older brother and parents on Christmas Day. Every year, his family sports matching holiday pajamas which his mom insists on and which his dad steadfastly refuses. His family enjoys Christmas dinner at his grandparents’ house and a big round of Secret Santa with his younger cousins. Patrick feels as though his view of the holiday has shifted as he’s gotten older.  

“When I was younger I’d go to church on Christmas Eve and I thought it was something I had to do, but as I grow older, I’ve started to think about how I can show gratitude for the things around me- my family and the presents- but also my religion. Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ and the beginnings of Christianity. Those beginnings are important to me because what Jesus told everyone are the values I try to embody.” Now, he most enjoys church music on Christmas Eve, seeing his brother when he’s home from college, and his mom’s “unconventional” Christmas dish of chicken pie (chicken pot pie minus the veggies). 

Below is an image of Leila Bodner (24’) who has just lit the Hanukkah candles in her family’s menorah.  Leila celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah to embrace different aspects of her family: “I have two older siblings. My sister and brother are 17 and 16 years older than me, technically, they’re my half-siblings, and so Christmas for me represents spending time with my siblings, my dad, and my mom.” Hanukkah means celebrating her mom’s Jewish side of the family and is a more religious celebration that includes going to synagogue. On the fourth night of Hanukkah: “Every family from our synagogue brings a hanukkiah [a menorah used on Hanukkah], and we all light them together in the prayer room. There are maybe 100 different hanukkiahs, all with candles lit up, and they give out these fun glasses that refract light, and so all the flames look like Jewish Stars of David. It looks like there’s 1000 little bright stars all over.”

Below is an image of a young Anaahita Kaashyap (25’) celebrating Navratri as she stands beside her family’s Golu, a festive display of dolls and figurines that is popular, especially in South India. Anaahita explains the significance of Navratri as a way for her to stay connected with her South Indian heritage and culture, which can often be hard to do living so far away from where these holidays are largely celebrated. Navratri is celebrated throughout India, but the tradition of setting up Golu is prominent in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where her family is from. “We visit people’s houses to see their step setup or Golu and to sing. Anaahita, who has practiced Indian classical singing with her cousin since they were little, will perform traditional Indian songs that praise Hindu deities with her cousin as they go from house to house. 

Each year, Selma and her family celebrate Ramadan together. “For us,” Selma says, “Ramadan is a great way to connect with our faith, especially living in America where there aren’t very many Muslims.” Selma’s favorite part of Ramadan is iftar, the meal that breaks the fast at sunset each day. “On Fridays or Saturdays, we’ll have bigger gatherings with family and friends. Everyone will bring their own dish and it’s a great way to reconnect with everyone and have some really delicious food after a long day.” She most looks forward to her nanny’s famous Moroccan soup. One of Selma’s favorite people to see during Ramadan and Eid is her grandfather, who immigrated from Egypt. She comments, “I respect him a lot for his ability to learn English in a new country and also maintain his religion and faith. It’s really easy to lose that in America. Listening to him talk about our religion and his life has really inspired me.”