The holiday season means something different for everyone. For some, a time to be with family and friends. For others, a time of remembrance and tradition. For senior Grant Meert, the holiday season is...
Mira Nalbandian, Managing Editor-in-Chief
• December 14, 2020
As the U.S. transitions into the colder months, with a chill in the air and frost lining fields of grass, many Americans find the holiday season upon them again. Commercials advertise multitudes of gifts,...
Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief
• November 17, 2020
The West Parent Organization (WPO) sent an email Nov. 2 to students and parents announcing their new holiday wreath fundraiser running through Nov. 15. This email included a digital order form of products...
1.All I Want for Christmas - Mariah Carey
One of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, it’s clear that the reason it’s so prominent is the energy and the beat of this song. Carey’s...
As we enter the final weeks of 2016, the holidays return in full swing. Opportunities for the family get-togethers, outings, gift exchanges and recipe swaps exemplify December. The holiday season brings...
![“Every year, my family makes this special food for Christmas, because it's related to my [South-Indian] culture. It's called Piti, which is dough made with rice flour that's rolled into balls and then cooked in water. It forms a soup that you eat with a meat curry. My dad mainly [makes] the food, but everyone in my family is involved in the process of rolling the dough. I'm Orthodox Christian, and Christmas and Easter are the two main holidays, [so we] usually make it twice a year after church. We observe Lent during both holidays, so we avoid meat and fast for the days leading up to Christmas and Easter.” - Angela Raju, 11](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Angela--900x600.jpg)
![“[For me, the happiest times are] when I celebrate holidays with my family. [My favorite is] Christmas, mostly because I got a lot of presents. I remember [my sister and I] used to write letters to Santa, and he would always write back to us. One year, I was very excited to get a bell from Rudolph's sleigh, but [the best present I've ever received] is a drone that my dad got me. I haven't been able to use it because I can't fly it without my dad, and he just never goes out to fly it. Hopefully [we can fly it] this year. On the other end, the best [present I have given was when] I poured a bunch of peanuts into a really big ornament and gave it to my mom [who was] really into peanuts then. This year, I'm very excited to see my siblings again. I have five, and most of them are away at college, so it's gotten more lonely,” - Declan Ryan, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DRyan-900x600.jpg)
![“[I am most proud of] having the courage to go to another country and stay here for a year without my family. Christmas was hard because I missed my family and they were doing all of this family stuff that we used to do together, and I was not there. We called almost every day that weekend. They had put a picture of me at the end of the table so I was ‘there’ for Christmas. It was really cute. My mom was an exchange student and she told me all her experiences and how fun it was. That’s why I decided to [study abroad].” - Johanne Mortensen, 11](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/JM.png)
![Senior Grant Meert prepares to throw a white pine Christmas tree through a netting machine. Of the many species of trees, Meert Tree Farm grows — including Scotch pine, Norway spruce, Virginia pine, Fraser fir and Michigan Scotch pine — Meert’s favorite is white pine. “Picking your tree gives people a good experience. It’s something that everyone needs to do at least once,” Meert said. “It gives customers a family memory and bonding time. I like having that time [with my family], and [we] make it a whole day.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG-6534.jpg)
