During the winter season, holiday spirit grows and fades along with traditions, values and societal expectations. From escapism to bleak reality, many find that the holiday spirit feels more mundane each year as childhood nostalgia grows further in the past.
As students and teachers reflected on their childhood holiday beliefs that used to bring them warmth and joy, they created a more realistic view of the winter months as they grow older. Whether it is Christmas, Thanksgiving, Diwali or New Year’s, holiday traditions continue to shape the SCHS community.
Senior Amanecci Porter believes the new generation of youth are losing their holiday spirit due to an increased media consumption of real-world issues, which might contradict the magic of holiday figures such as Santa Claus. She finds that Christmas movies used to feel more festive and impactful, drawing parallels between society’s lack of spirit and her own.
“I think the newer generation is kind of catching on to the idea that Santa Claus is fake, so no one believes in that stuff anymore. But in the past, a lot of people did, and that’s why I think movies had so much Christmas spirit,” Porter said.
Despite the shift, Porter finds hope in the excitement many have for the holidays despite the awareness of fictional beliefs. While the naive, childish happiness many once felt may have diminished, she believes people can still find holiday joy.
“Even though Santa Claus isn’t real, the idea of having belief and hope and being joyful is still real,” Porter said.
Biology teacher Arielle Martinka reflected on her festive childhood supported by her parents and hopes to carry on family holiday traditions. Martinka realized that she could take on Santa’s role as an adult, spreading Christmas cheer to those around her.
“I will decorate the house for them [her parents] even though I no longer live with them,” Martinka said. “It was the effort they were putting in when I was a child or an adolescent that now I want to keep putting that effort in.”
Similarly to Martinka, Spanish teacher Jose Gomar values time with his family during the holidays. He thinks of the holidays as a time of gratitude, hoping that all can become more appreciative of their loved ones.
“Just being able to be with your family and being present with them. Having the time to reflect on life, all the good things that you have because if you look around the world, it’s a mess right now,” Gomar said.
Freshman Amaris Romero is concerned about hustle culture during the holidays, or the expectation to constantly work without regard for rest and self-care. She believes this culture perpetuates leisurely time as wasteful, reducing time to cherish the holiday spirit.
“I think it (hustle culture) kind of takes away the time that you could spend with other people, which is really important during the holidays, and being with people you care about,” Romero said.
Alongside family values, Martinka hopes to bring back the holiday spirit by sharing traditions with others. She strives to learn about winter holidays that she does not personally celebrate.
“One of my colleagues, Mrs. Sunkara, brought in a bunch of Diwali treats and taught us about Diwali this week, so that was nice,” Martinka said. “When you’re lucky enough to be a part of someone’s tradition, that can be really exciting.”
Romero acknowledged the lack of holiday spirit after childhood but is hopeful in the ability for everyone to find joy within themselves and others during the holiday season.
“Although sometimes it might seem as though holidays are not as special as they used to be, I think as long as we spend it with the people that we love, cherish and care about, it will feel special for each of us,” Romero said.