By Colleen Meosky
Winter break is here, and East is ready to spend time with family and bring in the new year! I sent out a survey asking students and teachers to tell us their favorite aspects of the holiday season. Here’s what December looks like for East, according to the 150 responses we received.
Winter Weather
As we all know, Western New York is home to epic snowfalls thanks to the Great Lakes. I, for one, believe winter is by far the best season. Snow, hockey, hot cocoa, and Hallmark movies… who needs more? East apparently wants less. It looks like East enjoys our famous winter weather, but it gets a little old to them after a while.
Favorite Winter Activity
Answers definitely varied, but skiing is the most popular by a thin margin, with only four more votes than staying inside where it’s warm. One participant shared they enjoy playing video games with their cousins and baking while staying inside.
Holidays
I was curious to know what people at East celebrate this time of year, but I made this question optional for those who’d prefer not to share. 141 participants were willing to share. 122 of those people celebrate Christmas in some fashion, and one of them also celebrates Three Kings’ Day. 11 participants have celebrated Hanukkah this year. 118 people shared they celebrate New Year’s Eve, and there were additionally two responses related to the new year. One person said chose other and wrote “새해 (basically New Year’s of Korea, I guess),” and there was a response for Lunar New Year. I hope everyone enjoys (or has enjoyed) their celebrations this year!
Favorite Food/Drink of the Season
About half of the responses mentioned hot chocolate, and there were numerous ways people spelled it. Gingerbread or sugar cookies were favorites of the participants as well. One person enjoys the traditional Swedish meal they have with their family while another opts for a Christmas ham. I honestly had no idea how many people truly like eggnog, but that was just behind the cookies. My favorite response was the one person who voted for cherry pie, which just happens to be my favorite food.
Which Hot Drink Is Best?
Hot chocolate, tea, or coffee? I am pleased to say that hot chocolate dominated this vote, with 67.3% of participants preferring it over tea (14%) and coffee (18.7%).
What’s your favorite part of the holiday season, outside of spending time with loved ones?
While the decorations, music, special treats, and weather help put everyone in a festive mood, East is looking forward to some well-deserved time off the most.
I hope you have a wonderful winter break and happy holidays! I can’t wait to see you in 2021!
