The holidays are meant to be a time of laziness and enjoying the wafts of joy in the wintry air. Although the ‘no work’ part of break might be inaccurate for some, the holiday season gives teachers time to relax after long nights of grading, and students can be at peace after the climax of finals.

“We wake up, and we do stockings; we do presents. My grandma always comes with hot chocolate, and then we make cinnamon rolls. So we don’t do anything really extravagant, but it’s just being with my family that is really special because this is one of the few times where I just get to spend time with them,” literary and language arts teacher and water polo coach Kate Avery said. 

Most families like the Avery family have their own unique traditions, and senior Trisha Andrews spends her Christmas with her family in her own way. 

“As the days lead up to Christmas, I’m usually stacked up on studying for finals, but to celebrate Christmas I like to give out gifts and decorate the house with my family,” Andrews said. “I usually end up going to a lot of holiday parties with my friends and families, and I give presents. We also sit down to watch some Christmas movies and eat some food.”

Despite both using the holidays as a destressor, is there a notable difference between how teachers and students spend the holidays? 

“I know some teachers will grade a little bit over break, and some teachers will use the time to lesson plan [and] get our lives back together,” Avery said. “Most teachers have kids or other family coming into town, so we play the host versus [students who] are the guests. So [students] get to sleep at 12, and we may or may not have that luxury.”

Most teachers have to take on the roles of organizers and hosts during the holidays, whereas students have the privilege of oversleeping and participating in child-like activities. Although teachers might not be able to have a complete break from their lives at work, they still partake in the celebrations special to them.

“Just like us, they visit their family and friends and have their own traditions that may be unique to their families,” Andrews said. 

Both Andrews and Avery agree that the holidays are a universal time for students and teachers to unwind.

“I just love the general splendor of the holidays regardless if it’s Christmas or not. I just feel like everyone is generally happier,” Avery said. “It’s just something that makes you feel a little bit happier and makes you forget about all of this stress and pressure that exists.”