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Home , Christmas Eve, Diwali, Halloween, Holi, Makar Sankranti

The following were written by Waynesville Sixth Grade students when they were asked to write about their favorite traditions and represent only a small sampling of those received.

Holiday Traditions By Yonieliz Fuentes

Did you know how many traditions there are in the world? These are holidays traditions that are very special for me and my family. What we do for traditions are , El dia de los Reyes, and Thanksgivings.

I’m going to let you know about some special I have with my family. Food is a big part of my family traditions, games and talking too. First of all, all of the mothers (Aunts, grandmother, and my mom) make a huge feast. We have rice and traditionally cook pork and flan for and of course many other delicious foods. According to History of Puerto Rican food-.com the most traditional way to cook a whole pig is Lechon Asado (Suckling pig roasted over charcoal). This is how we enjoy some of our time by cooking traditionally. Next after we’ve eaten, the kids go play and the dads play a long game of domino’s (another popular game from Puerto Rico). Last, it's time to visit the other adults. They like to share stories and talk about times in the past. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Now you know about some of traditions. https://www.tripsavvy.com/puerto-ricos-most-beloved-food-lechon-1621967

Thanksgiving comes in November, according to Thehistorychannel.com, “In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit.” Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times and I love our traditions. Again, food is an important part of our Puerto Rican culture, so of course Thanksgiving is all about the food. We eat a traditional turkey (Roasted in the oven). We do rice instead of , cornbread, winebread (Pull apart and share), mashed potatoes and for dessert, brownies! The family loves this time because we can really sit and enjoy our meal. Like Christmas, after we eat the kids go their way (Outside to play or play video games) every Puerto Rican you always see the dad again playing dominos and little kids tend to watch movies. Again, our mothers (Aunts, grandmothers etc..) tend to clean and talk about things (Kids, husbands, shopping). Sometimes we try and listen but they always kick us out. As you can see, Thanksgiving and Christmas are similar. https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving

My last holiday family transition is one you may not know, it is called The of the Three Kings. On a Spanish website called Woodwardspanish.com, “Tradition says that the three Wise Men bring to children, just like with of Nazareth.” This is a very special day we place small boxes with grass inside and put them in our living room but some people put it under their bed, you know if the Three Kinds have visited if you box is full of goodies and there is grass left behind (The grass represents that the grass was from the camels eating while the Three Kings were there). When we wake up we open our gifts and share some of our happiness together. Here in the we do not get this day off from school but in Puerto Rico we get the day off for celebrating. When we are in the U.S., we celebrate before school. This is an important part of my family and cultural tradition, I hope you learned something new and about my traditions. https://www.spanish.cl/vocabulario/dia-de-reyes.htm

Celebrating traditions like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and The day of the Three Kings makes me feel good when that time of the year comes just like with other people and their traditions. Traditions can be passed down from generation to generation or started by a single family. In my case this has been passed down from generation to generation in my family. These traditions hold meaning like joy in me and my family.

My Holiday Traditions By Nidhi Patel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Holidays like , , and Markar , are very important holidays for my family. Diwali is the of lights. Holi is the festival of colors. Markar Sankranti is the festival of . We love these celebrations because we get to spend tons and tons and TONS of time together.

First, my family loves to celebrate Diwali, (the festival of lights). According to National kids geographic, it states “Diwali, or Diwali, is 's biggest and most important holiday of the year.” First, on Diwali we wear traditional Indian clothes. We wear fancy Indian clothes that are red and white to represent the colors of Diwali. The boys/men wear a fancy shirt and dark blue jeans. The girls/women wear long skirts with a fancy blouse. Next, we light candles at night time. I get to arrange the candles and my brother gets to also. My older sister, Mom, and Dad light the candles. Lastly, my family spends time with each other. We eat dinner together. We eat Indian food that are difficult to make and that we don't make often. Diwali is a really special holiday for me and my family to celebrate. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/diwali/

Second, my family loves to celebrate Holi (the festival of color). According to Holifestival, “ Holi is considered as one of the most revered and celebrated of India and it is celebrated in almost every part of the country.” (Kapoor) First, we don't wear fancy traditional clothes, because we will be getting dirty by people throwing color on us. Next, we get to throw color on each other. We each get one bucket full of one color, and it lasts us for a long time. Lastly, we dance and have fun. We do some traditional dancing and play in the color and we spray water on each other, so the color is more vibrant. My family loves Holi because we get to have a lot of fun. https://www.holifestival.org/

Lastly, my family celebrates Markar Sankranti. According to Sahapedia.org it states “Be it the festival of or Uttarayan or a celebration of Indian independence, both are synonymous with flying.” First, me and my family wake up and get ready quickly. My mom wakes up and gets ready and takes a shower then my dad, then me, then my sister and then, my brother. Next, we go on the roof of our house to fly kites so nothing gets in the way. We also light lanterns at night time. Lastly, my family likes to spend time with each other and eat dinner. The adults watch a movie while the kids play in the basement with my older cousin , he is 19 years old. Me and my family love to celebrate Markar Sankranti because it is truly a wonderful holiday. https://www.sahapedia.org/history-kite-flying-india

Diwali, Holi, and Markar Sankranti are very important holidays for my family. Not only do we have fun, but we spend time with the ones we love the most. All of our family members get to gather around and have a feast, with all types of amazingly awesome food. Families all around the world celebrate holidays differently with their family traditions.

My Holiday Traditions By Thyanneva George

What are your favorite holidays? Holidays like Christmas, , and my are fun to spend with my family. We watch movies, play games, and use our pjs and it will be much fun and spending time with family makes my holidays even better.

First, my family loves to celebrate Halloween. According to history.com, they say that Halloween’s creepy characters and legends have evolved based on the terrifying events. I like being terrified and scared because it makes me feel more excited. We went to a and there was some scary stuff like clowns, fake blood, and a pig with an axe. I get lots of to have and to save. Me and my sisters like to trade some of our candy after going house to house. On Halloween, we get to wear . My sisters dressed up like a zombie bride and a witch. And my brother dressed up as iron man and minions because it makes them feel powerful and have fun. And I can dress up as something funny or scary. Sometimes I just use a hood and jeans. So I can try to scare people or just get some candy which is my favorite part. Halloween is the time to try to give chills to people and friends. And to have fun with everyone! Citation:https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

Next, my family loves to celebrate Christmas. History.com tells me that Christmas first started in the middle of . Early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the dark days of winter. Which is so interesting because I would know when and where Christmas evolved. I love watching Christmas movies because we get to wear our pajamas and stay warm on a cold morning while drinking hot . And we have a crazy and amusing night because of how thrilled our whole family is to open our presents and have a great day! I also love spending time with my siblings while giving and opening our presents. On , our family would wake up and wait until it is 12 AM in the morning and open our presents. My siblings would be too excited to open presents so sometimes we would open them early. My dad or mom would call out our names and say whose present it belongs to. Then, we would open them and share stuff with my siblings. Christmas is a fun way to give and have fun with family and celebrate Jesus’s birth. Citation:https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-christmas

` Finally, my family and I love to have fun and celebrate my birthday. Family education.com says that birthdays can help your child feel happy and special for themselves. I love to spend time with my family so they can talk to me while we have fun celebrating my birth. I get presents and I really love the things they give me like clothes and when I got my phone. I had clothes to wear to fit in and had some candy to share. I get hungry so my mom and my dad get soda and we also get wings for the soda. We eat and the food is so good. We also play games so we don’t get bored while being there. Some games are like the pinata like most people celebrate their birth. I hit as hard as I can and we get lots of candy like Kit Kats. My birthday is a great way to celebrate my birth and learn more ways to celebrate it differently. Citation:https://www.familyeducation.com/fun/birthdays/12-simple-traditions-your-childs- birthday

Halloween, Christmas, and Birthdays are fun to spend with family and have time to hang out and celebrate. There are many holidays and traditions that people love to have fun and celebrate with family. Many people have unique holidays that they create and pass on. Halloween, Christmas, and my birthday is a time to spread kindness, happiness, and love to yourself and others.

My Holiday Traditions By Zach Cadet

A family celebrates a tradition or holiday and it makes them happy; if it were you, would you be happy? These three holidays are very special to my family. , Thanksgiving, and casually PCSing is special to my family because most of them are Biblical traditions other than PCSing.

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States. According to History.com The Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. On Thanksgiving my family usually invites other family members and friends to eat with us. When we eat my mom goes all out on the food so we have a variety of pies and a giant turkey plus my family members bring food. www.history.com

Next My family also likes to celebrate The Passover. According to Britannica.com Passover, Hebrew Pesaḥ, or Pesach, in is a holiday commemorating the Hebrews' liberation from slavery in Egypt and the “passing over” of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites when the Lord “smote the land of Egypt” on the eve of the Exodus. When my family celebrates Passover we go to a that celebrates it, then we go inside and start the traditions. One of the traditions that are in the Passover is eating flatbread and drinking grape champagne. www.britannica.com

Finally my family has a PCS. PCSing stands for permanent change of station, or moving. When my family PCSes they pack up everything and put it in a truck then we go into an apartment for a week. When we get out of the apartment it is time to get onto the airplane. When we get onto the airplane I usually take the window seat because I like to see the clouds and the scenery. A permanent move of station is a part of military life. Experiencing different parts of the country and the world is a unique benefit of military service. In fact, travel and visiting new cultures may have been among the reasons you joined the military. www.militaryonesource.mil › ... › Planning Your Move

These are the three traditions that my family celebrates. This is why I love the traditions that I celebrate because they have meaning to my family and my life. These traditions have special meaning to my family because we feel great doing them.

My Holiday Traditions By Niko Kendig

Do you have any traditions you celebrate? Some traditions people celebrate are traditions such as Christmas where wrapping paper and gifts come in for a , also Halloween, and more such as new years, Thanksgiving, and Chinese new years. I have 3 traditions I celebrate. That is Christmas, Halloween, and Thanksgiving!

First my Family celebrates Christmas. According to History.com “Christmas is celebrated on 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon.” Every Christmas our family makes Christmas cookies and we always decorate them all together and we use icing, , and other things to decorate the cookies. One of my aunts is an artist so she decorates the cookie decoration really well. During Christmas we always get gifts from our family, close friends, and others of course we always like the gifts. We also like giving gifts. We normally go to different stores and malls for different gifts for our family members. We also shop on online stores such as Amazon, Ebay, And other stores. https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

Another tradition my Family and I celebrate is Thanksgiving. According to History.Com “the holiday feast dates back to November 1621, when the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered at Plymouth for an autumn harvest celebration.” Every Thanksgiving we invite family and close friends to Thanksgiving and we all come to our or another friend or family's home and celebrate Thanksgiving. Another thing we do to celebrate Thanksgiving is to eat with our family and friends at a big table and talk.. Another thing I do to celebrate Thanksgiving is to help with the cooking for the big dinner with most of our family members. My Dad is the main chief so I help him with getting ingredients and mixing. https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of- thanksgiving#:~:text=In%201621%2C%20the%20Plymouth%20colonists,by%20individual%20col onies%20and%20states.

Another tradition our family celebrates is Halloween. According to History.Com “Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic holiday of ”. Over the centuries, Halloween transitioned from a pagan ritual to a day of , costumes, jack-o-lanterns and trick-or- treating for kids and adults. One of the things we do for Halloween is dressing up where we dress up as someone, something, or make a up with different materials and your imagination. Another thing we do is give candy to others who celebrate Halloween with us. We always go to a store and buy big bags of candy and make candy goodie bags to give to other trick-or-treaters. Another thing my family does is trick-or-treating together and get candy from other people who celebrate Halloween and normally eat lots of candy afterwards. https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

These three traditions my family celebrates are Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween. These times of the year that my family celebrates and have special meanings to my family. Different families pass down their traditions to generations and generations. These traditions bring joy to others like it does for my family and Me. Most traditions are made to bring happiness, cheer, and you can get closer to your family.

Holidays and Their Traditions By Kelci Pattison

According to the U.S. , “In 2020 there are 10 U.S. holidays marked on the calendar.” Holiday traditions are something that people use all around the world to increase the enjoyment of celebrating holidays. Christmas, , and Thanksgiving are a few of the many holidays people celebrate around the world.

First, Christmas is a very popular holiday all around the world. A way kids get excited for the holidays is when they see their Elf on the Shelf come visit. According to AOL.com, “The elf on the shelf started in 2005. With just 5,000 sold then, now the elf on the shelf has a yearly growth of 149%.” Another tradition for the holidays is on Christmas Eve going to a . We do this to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Another tradition of many is opening stockings on Christmas morning. The holidays are a great way to bring families together and when you incorporate traditions into Christmas it makes the experience so much better.

Secondly, Easter is another well recognized holiday. A big tradition to celebrate Easter is an Easter egg hunt. According to blog.org.uk, “The custom of the Easter egg hunt comes from Germany. Some suggest that its origins date back to the late 16th century.” Another possible tradition for Easter is going on a scavenger hunt to find your Easter basket. This is used to make the experience more exciting when finding your Easter basket. Both of these traditions allow for a fun Easter holiday.

Lastly, Thanksgiving is another holiday celebrated around the world. One tradition is saying what you are thankful for. This normally takes place right before the Thanksgiving meal. Another tradition is the Thanksgiving meal. “The holiday feast dates back to November 1621 when the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians gathered at Plymouth for a harvest,” according to History.com. Finally, the most popular tradition is gathering with family and friends to make memories and enjoy a meal together.

In conclusion, these are a few of the many traditions that people all over the world incorporate into Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Celebrating holidays as a family creates memories that will last a lifetime.