Many people consider winter the greatest time of year because it is a time filled with celebrations and making memories with family and friends. With all of the winter sports and activities, there is always some way for Friends families to make the most out of the winter break. Although there are various ways to enjoy the season, some Wilmington Friends families have special winter traditions that they perform every year.
The winter holidays evoke a strong sense of giving, so it should be no surprise that a common favorite tradition among students is giving and receiving gifts. Cat Clark ’16, a student with a unique family tradition explained, “Every winter we make ornaments by covering styrofoam balls in sequins and putting our school pictures on them. It’s fun because we get to see how we have grown up over the years. They also make great gifts, and we give them to our grandparents.”
Looking for another creative gift idea? Make snow globes, knit outerwear, or decorate mugs. Similar to Cat, Nathaniel Ruhl ’18 and his family have a tradition of giving a particular gift each year. Nathaniel says, “We give pajamas to each other on Christmas Eve and we visit the ‘Marsh Road House’ which is decorated with lights.”
Even though winter is the coldest time of year, families enjoy the frosty weather with their outdoor winter traditions. For some students, there is nothing more exciting than playing around in the snow by making snow angels, going ice skating, or having a snowball fight with friends. Nimalah Baaith-Ducharme ’16 is one student who loves to be out in the snow, she stated, “On the day before Christmas, my family goes sledding and then we come home to drink hot chocolate and watch A Christmas Story, which is my family’s favorite holiday movie.” Sledding is always a popular activity for Friends students to do during snow days.
Although there are many people who love spending time outside during the winter, there are others who would rather spend their time inside buried under a pile of blankets with a warm drink. When asked if she had any winter traditions, Lizzie Kane ’18 responded “My family always makes ‘no no’ cookies during the winter. When my mom was younger, my grandmother made them every year around Christmas. Whenever my mom and her sisters would try to steal the cookies, my grandmother would say ‘no no’, and the name eventually stuck.”
When asked the same question, Sarah Balik ’17 answered, “There is a cookie exchange every year at my dad’s office and every year my sister and I make cookies together for the party.” Other indoor winter activities include watching your favorite holiday movies, reading, playing board games, or making festive treats.
Winter is called “the most wonderful time of the year” because it brings families and friends together, but it also has something to offer to everyone. WFS families make the most out of the holiday season by celebrating with their special winter traditions. Whether it’s baking an old family cookie recipe, watching a favorite holiday movie, or making unique homemade ornaments, nothing makes the holidays more special for Friends students than family traditions.