The Christmas season brings festivity and happiness year in and year out; with this yearly celebration, many BSM families participate in traditions they have handed down from generation to generation. These traditions can vary from extreme outdoor Christmas decorations to a simple “Secret Santa” gift exchange with immediate family members, and many traditions are shared among friends and extended family. 

Whether it’s the scent of the fresh and lively pine, balsam, and Frasier trees ranging in many various heights or the bonding of family members when cutting the tree down, the act of going to a tree farm and choosing your own has been on the upswing and continues to be a favorite among many families yearly. “Every year since I was a kid, [my family and I] have gone to the same Christmas tree farm to cut down our own tree. [My brothers and I] switch off who cuts down the tree every year… we make it a fun competition to find a better one than the year before,” senior Jake Solomon said.

A common tradition among many families in the BSM community and throughout the world is decorating the Christmas tree. Though the premise of the tradition is the same, it can vary from what is being put on the tree to who you are decorating it with. “My family uses the same ornaments every year on the tree – some of them are ornaments [my siblings and I] made as kids and others are gifts our parents have gotten throughout their lives,” Engstrand said. 

Though tree cutting is a more standardized tradition, senior Simon Engstrand offers insight into a more personal, family-oriented tradition. “Because my dad’s side of the family is Norwegian, we eat a lot of traditional Scandanavian foods – every year, someone introduces a new dish to the rest of the family for Christmas dinner. I guess new foods and variety is our tradition,” Engstrand said. 

Many families share a tradition of who they decorate the tree with. “Even if my siblings aren’t home when we decorate it, we make sure whoever is there participates. This is [my] family’s favorite part of the Christmas season,” senior Harrison Gresser said.

Family traditions are some of many things to look forward to during the holiday season, and despite the conditions this year, everyone is doing their best to stay as festive as possible. “Even though we won’t be able to celebrate with our extended family, I think we’re all more appreciative of who we can be with,” Gresser said.