The end of 2013 is upon us, and with this time of year come many holidays and festivities. Though students and teachers surely love being in school, Thanksgiving Break and Winter Recess are pleasant pauses in the hustle and bustle of Ridge High School. Members of Ridge spend these days in many different ways ranging from family traditions to holiday celebrations.
If you are looking for ways to spruce up your holidays (no pun intended), try a Secret Santa gift exchange with your friends or family. Use a gift exchange website or draw names from a plain old hat, set a price limit, and get thoughtful gifts. Alternatively, hold movie marathons, make gingerbread houses or cookies, or decorate the house!
Thankfully, there has not yet been a disastrous storm similar to those that have plagued Basking Ridge for the past few years. This winter season looks like it is going to be relatively tame. Regardless, turn those pajamas inside out and place a wooden spoon under your pillows, and hope for a white Christmas!
Students of Ridge celebrate holidays of many different cultures, and some kindly shared their personal traditions.
Ritesh Akkisetty ’14 celebrates Diwali: “the celebration of good versus evil symbolized by light versus dark.” This holiday “falls on a different day every year because it goes by the lunar calendar,” but it usually occurs during the “second week of October. According to Hindu mythology, an Indian goddess defeated a demon on this day. In India, everybody has the day off, and then the entire day is spent letting off firecrackers.” However, New Jersey does not allow firecrackers, and so Ritesh’s family puts up “a lot of lights or lamps.”
Meanwile, Emily Jones ’14 celebrates Hannukah, a holiday that coincided with Thanksgiving this year. She describes her experiences: “Every night we light the menorah, and a few nights we fry latkes and exchange gifts. When we were younger, we used to play dreidel. Some other Hannukah traditions include eating gelt and other fried foods.”
There is more to look forward to in the holiday season aside from the traditions. Jeffrey Cai ’14 is eager to sleep in – a winter ceremony I am sure we all love to observe. Ms. Jennifer Curran, a music teacher, shared that her favorite part of the holiday season is cooking with her mother.
Whether you are playing in the snow, snuggling up on the couch to drink hot chocolate, or spending quality time with your family, remember to enjoy the break! And seniors, get those January 1st applications in early!