Many people look forward to the holiday season, whether they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.  It’s a fun time of the year when gifts are exchanged, anticipation of the big day grows with each day crossed off the calendar, and family comes to visit. But what about those who don’t celebrate Christmas?

There are some students at Seminole who do not take part in the holiday season because they are not of a religion which celebrates a holiday around this time of year.

These students have their own creative ways of coping with the holiday season, the barrage of red and green decorations, and the merry holiday spirit.

Sophomore Mustafa Hammad does not take part in any of the holiday traditions such as putting up a Christmas tree or lighting Hanukkah candles. He is Muslim, and Muslim holidays are determined by the lunar calendar, so they don’t always fall around the winter holiday season. Hammad said, “My family and I sit at home doing nothing [during the holiday season], mainly watching reruns of outdated TV shows.”

When asked if he engaged in any holiday traditions such as exchanging presents, Hammad said, “I engage in the holiday tradition of completing my homework during the holidays.”

Another anonymous sophomore copes with the holiday season in a different way. He is Hindu, so he celebrates Diwali, or the Indian New Year. During the winter holidays, he uses the time off to spend time with family.

“My family and I mostly have get-togethers during the holiday season right after Diwali and New Years,” said the anonymous sophomore. He and his family do not engage in exchanging presents, he added, but they do put up lights and occasionally have fireworks.

Junior Grace Li is Buddhist, but instead of coping with the holiday season, she joins in. Li and her family put up a Christmas tree and decorate it together. She said, “My family and I […] have a huge dinner party on Christmas and exchange presents.”

Whatever faith one follows, there are plenty of ways of coping—or taking part in—the holiday season. Traditions like putting up a tree and exchanging presents can be observed by anyone and everyone. The holiday season is truly a time to relax and spend time with those who matter the most!