Both Christmas and Hanukkah are special holidays that revolve around religion, community, and love. Each family possesses unique holiday traditions that are passed down to future generations. 

Christmas

• Holiday Candy and Beverages 
  • Some of our favorite Christmas candies and drinks include peppermint bark and peppermint hot chocolate. Pinterest has amazing and creative recipes. If you aren’t into cooking, Starbucks and Williams Sonoma are fantastic places to pick up delicious treats that are premade.

• Decorating Gingerbread Houses
  • Gather your friends and family and decorate gingerbread houses. This is one of our favorite activities to do during the holiday season. Head over to your local grocery store and purchase premade houses to decorate. 

• Holiday Light Tour 
  • Los Angeles is home to numerous neighborhoods that go crazy for Christmas. Take your friends and family, listen to some Christmas tunes, and drive around to immerse yourself in this joyful season.

Hanukkah

• Light the Menorah
  • Grab your loved ones because you will not want to miss lighting candles for the eight nights of Hanukkah, the festival of lights. Afterward, spin the dreidel and win some gelt (chocolate coins). 

• Sufganiyot
  • This is a super yummy and traditional treat during Hanukkah. Sufganiyot are donuts filled with jelly and then topped with powdered sugar. Another delicious treat during the Hanukkah season is latkes, or potato pancakes. Most Hanukkah foods involve oil because it’s the celebration of the miraculous oil lamp lasting eight nights. 

• Gifts!
  • Kids receive a gift each night of Hanukkah. Some families have a charity night where they give gifts to others. According to Marymount student Grace R. ‘21, she tends to open her biggest and most extravagant gift on the last night with all the candles burning.