From Screens to Scenes: Hopkins on Holiday Traditions

Karolina Jasaitis ’27 Campus Correspondent

Following the three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break, many Hopkins students return to the comfort of their homes and spend some much-needed time with family.

Following the three weeks between Thanks-
giving and Christmas break, many Hopkins students

return to the comfort of their homes and spend some
much-needed time with family. The holidays: a time of
nostalgia, comfort, and rest that Hopkins students covet
most dearly. Many families cherish traditions such as
watching holiday films every year during the holidays.
The holiday film industry flourishes not merely
as entertainment, but as a source of familial connection

and seasonal ritual. Jack Ferandino ’28 and his fam-
ily watch the 1989 film “National Lampoon’s Christmas

Vacation” every year: “It is a tradition that my family
watches every year. It brings the family together during
holidays.” Keelan Lee ’27 said, “My family has traditions
where we watch certain movies on certain days leading
up to Christmas. For Thanksgiving and Halloween, we
watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” and then
for Christmas, we watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Similarly, Class of 2024 Head Advisor Scott Wich

’89 enjoys the holidays by watching movies. He passion-
ately said that his favorite holiday film is “It’s A Wonderful

Life” and “It is the one by which all other kinds of holiday

films must be judged.” He loves the subtleties of the scen-
ery, saying it is “classic, perfect, well done, just enough

schmaltzy holiday stuff.” He specifically appreciates the

“snowstorm” and “the big, you know, winter scene in Bed-
ford Falls, New York.” He loves it so much that he has his

family watch it every Christmas Day because it’s a “clas-
sic” and it must be watched “beginning to end.” The mov-
ie captures many emotions from him, and tears are always

shed, so “everyone mainly directs their attention to me to
see if I’m going to lose it. I never disappoint.” Holiday
films provide comfort and memories during the holidays.
Many Hopkins students, however, use their

free time to watch holiday films alone. Ksenia Podolt-
seva ’27 watches “Home Alone 2” because “it’s set in

New York. That makes me feel more connected to it be-
cause I’ve been there during that holiday season.” Sarah

Galvani-Townsend ’25 loves “The Grinch Who Stole
Christmas,” but it is not a part of her family traditions.

History teacher Zoe Resch didn’t grow up watch-
ing holiday films as a child, so she raised her family in the

same way. Instead their holidays are filled with tactile, joy-
ful traditions: “We make special cinnamon buns. We often

spend a lot of time outside, and go hunting for our own
tree.” Likewise, Podoltseva gets a Christmas tree with her
family and they “decorate it together with ornaments that
my brother and I made when we were younger, and my
brother assembles an electric train that goes around the
tree.” Podoltseva’s mother “hates television,” so during the
holidays, her family never partook in classic holiday films.

Many Hopkins students celebrate different holi-
days shaped by their cultural traditions. Daniela Delgado

’25 comes from Mexican and Colombian heritage, so
during Christmas, Delgado and her family “gather and
read the progression of the biblical story of how Jesus

was born, and then we give gifts.” Meanwhile, Podolt-
seva celebrates Christmas on New Year’s Eve, following

the Russian Orthodox calendar. “In my household, Father
Frost comes to bring presents, and my brother and I have
to play instruments or sing to receive gifts,” she shares.
For many, holiday films are a simple and accessible

way to embrace the festive spirit. Others prioritize hands-
on traditions, cultural practices, or unique family customs.

Ultimately, these activities — whether on screen or off

— reflect the rich tapestry of cultures, values, and memo-
ries that makes the holidays a cherished moment for all.

Back

online edition

The Student Newspaper of Hopkins School

From Screens to Scenes: Hopkins on Holiday Traditions