Many families in the Wauwatosa East community have their own holiday traditions and activities. As the holiday season approaches, these festivities will be put into use and this week we wanted to highlight some of them. 

Aidan Hanley, a senior at Wauwatosa East, described the benefits of celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas. He stated, “My mom is Jewish and my dad is Catholic, so I really get to experience the best of both worlds, celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas.” According to the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, although 92% of Americans will celebrate Christmas, 5% will celebrate Hanukkah. Additionally, 5% of Americans will celebrate more than one holiday (“Happy Holidays: Festive or Stressful?”).

Many students also celebrate holiday traditions other than religious ones. Nate Gendrich, a senior at East, described his family’s traditions, saying, “Every year my family goes to a Christmas tree farm, picks out a tree, and cuts it down together.”  This holiday tradition has become increasingly unique. As stated by CNN, real Christmas trees have become a lot less popular in recent years, with 77% of people who will display a Christmas tree opting for a fake one (Morales). But Gendrich explained why having a real tree is better, “A real one brings out the true spirit of Christmas, makes the house smell great, and looks better than a fake tree.” 

Celebrating ethnic traditions is also very common. Ms. Sampson, an English teacher at East, celebrates the German tradition of hiding a pickle in the Christmas tree. Sampson was shocked when she found out how common it was, stating, “I thought my family’s tradition of hiding the pickle in the tree was original. But it turns out it is more popular than I thought!” Another teacher at East, Ms. Vendbraaten, celebrates a Polish tradition called Oplatek. She described the tradition and what it means to celebrate the tradition, “Every person in the family has a church host. The family gathers together and each person exchanges a piece of their Oplatek with another. We hug and get rid of any ill wishes between family members. It’s a great well witching event.” 

Every family has different traditions that are important to them, no matter how obscure or common they may be. As the holidays approach it is important to relax and celebrate with family and friends, and to create memories that will last a lifetime. Happy holidays from the Tosa Compass. 

Works Cited

“Happy Holidays: Festive or Stressful?” AP-NORC, 5 December 2019, https://apnorc.org/projects/happy-holidays-festive-or-stressful/. Accessed 20 December 2023.

Morales, Tori. “Christmas trees have gotten a lot less real in recent decades, in charts.” CNN, 19 December 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/19/business/artificial-christmas-tree-vs-real-dg/index.html. Accessed 20 December 2023.