Whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, Chargers have celebrated the season by decorating their own houses and enjoying the festive sights in their neighborhoods and around the community.

Many students’ families have made it a tradition to put up festive decorations every year.

“My family has a tradition where we set up three different Christmas trees,” junior Sophia Skiavo said. “We have one in our main living room, where we have all the classic ornaments like tinsel and glass ornaments, but there’s also my personal Christmas tree. My grandparents used to get me an ornament every year, [and] now I think I have about 30 built up over 16 years. That one is next to our big tree, and then we have a tiny one that goes on our kitchen table.”

Often, Chargers decorate with items that have a special meaning to their family.

“We have an angel,” freshman Manisha Chaudhary said. “It was our first angel that we ever got, and we always put it on our tree.”

Some decorations that students put up on their Christmas tree are ones they made themselves in elementary school.

“I still have some ornaments that I made in kindergarten that we hang on the tree,” junior Betsabe Pardo said.

Members of the community have also adorned the outside of their homes with eye-catching inflatables and colorful lights. Some families even sync the lights on their houses with a radio station, so neighbors can tune in as the lights change colors with the music. Nearby celebrations that decorate for the holidays include the Bull Run Festival of Lights, Meadowlark Winter Walk of Lights in Vienna and the LightUp Fest in Loudoun (For more information and recommendations, see back page).

Hanukkah is also another holiday that Chargers celebrate.

“ I celebrate Hanukkah,” junior Taylor Hannam-Zatz said. “The miracle of Hanukkah [was] when the Israelites thought they only had enough oil to light a candle for one night, but it lasted for eight, ” It is a Jewish holiday lasting eight days in which people light a candle each day on their menorahs. Typical gifts include chocolate coins or a dreidel.

“Some decorations I put up every year are blue lights, a sign that says ‘Let the light shine bright’ and a light-up menorah,” Hannam-Zatz said. “One decoration that is important to my family is our menorah that we use each night. We’ve been using it my whole life, and it’s really sentimental to my family.”

Putting up decorations makes holidays lively and more special because people can fully immerse themselves in the joy of holiday celebrations.