AS THE holiday season approaches, many are excited to take a well-deserved break and get time away from school. Right now is when everyone travels, whether it’s to see new places or reconnect with friends and family. Many people do all kinds of different things during the holidays, not just travel, but also traditions. If it’s traveling far or staying close to home, it is the perfect time to relax, reset and go into the new year with a fresh start.

Scarlett Reyes (10) and a couple of her friends are going to have a Friendsgiving. “This is my first time doing a Friendsgiving at my house, but I think it’ll be really fun,” she said. As for Christmas, many Lancers are excited to do all the winter activities. “This winter I would like to go out and do cute things with my friends, like make snow angels, go see the lights, and open presents with my friends,” Reyes said. There are many different holiday traditions, and every family has its own. “I don’t have any tradition besides being with my family, each of us must make a dish. I usually make a dessert,” she said.

“For Thanksgiving, I am going to go on a trip to Mexico for two weeks, and then for Christmas, I am going to spend time with my family at my cousin’s house,” Oliver Reyes (12) said. Trips around this time are very common because it is the season to get together. “I always do the same thing every Christmas and Thanksgiving, so I guess it’s kind of a tradition,” he said.

With the year ending, now is the time to finish all the last-minute things Lancers want to do. “This year, I want to be more present in the moment and not focus too much on anything else. I am really looking forward to this holiday, which is the big event that Mexico has to offer,” Reyes said.

Some families like to stick to tradition, while others take this time to try something new. “For Thanksgiving, I’m going to see my dad in Seattle, and then for Christmas, I’m going on a cruise. Going on a cruise is something we’ve never done; we usually spend Christmas at home, but this year we decided to do something different,” Melanie Lugo (10) said.

When holidays come around, many create new traditions that will last forever. Traditions are a big part of holidays and make your time unique. “I think a tradition I’d like to start is going to Seattle and seeing my dad every year during break,” Lugo said.

“For Thanksgiving, I’m going to go to Arizona to see my family. My family and I barely started going to Arizona, and last year was a bit of a disaster, but it seems like it might be a new tradition,” McKenzie Caruso (9) said.

This time around, Lancers need to be surrounded by people they are thankful for. Traveling to see family is also a meaningful tradition that keeps them connected.