MCPS treasures its diversity. As late December approaches, students of different ethnicities begin preparing for the holiday celebrations with a few customs of their own culture.
Many African American students observe Kwanzaa, a week-long celebration honoring the African heritage that culminates in a feast. Other students celebrate Hanukkah, also known as the “Festival of Lights” or “Feast of Dedication.” Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple.
While students may stay home and celebrate this holiday with family and friends, others may be travelling. “I’m just going to chill at home, open presents, and make wicked Christmas food,” said Maire Volz, a freshman at Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) High School.
“I’m probably just going to visit family in Prince George’s [County, Maryland],” says freshman Elizabeth Mbah.
“I’m leaving Saturday for Ohio to see my dad,” says sophomore Jada Parslow.
Many plan on visiting the National Christmas Tree located in the northeast quadrant of The Ellipse near the White House.
Freshman Maire Volz, plans on staying home and making candy cane lollipops, a hot commodity for holiday parties. She shared her recipe below:
Ingredients:
- 12 candy canes
- Any type of chocolate
- 6 lollipop sticks
- A non-sticky cooking sheet
- Scissors
You may take the twelve candy canes, and cut from the curl of the candy cane to whatever length you would like. Make sure they are all equally cut in length. Cut the candy canes slowly. You don’t want them to break! Do this to all the candy canes, and once they are all cut, take a pair of the cut candy canes and put the curled ends of the canes against each other to make a heart shape. Place one stick directly in between the two candy canes. After doing this, take the chocolate you have and heat it over a stove until it is liquid-like. Carefully and quickly, pour the chocolate inside the heart shapes you have on the cooking sheet and place the sheet in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes are up, take out the sheet and examine your work. You should have six heart-shaped lollipops with chocolate in between two equally cut candy canes. These are great snacks for holiday parties, and are very simple to make.
Michelle Romero on making another adorable snack, which she named melted snowmen. According to Michelle, the following is required to make a melted snowmen:
Ingredients:
- A bag of large marshmallows
- Three colors of icing: black, orange, and white
- A box of sugar cookies (no icing!)
- Three icing bags
Take the cookies you have and place the three colors of icing into the three icing bags. Take the white icing bag and make a thin glob of white icing on the surface of the sugar cookie. Then, using a thin tip dispenser of the black and orange icing bags, draw two black dots on the side of the marshmallow to create the eyes of the snowman. With the orange icing bag, draw a small triangle pointing to the right as a nose for the snowman. Using the black icing bag, draw a thin smile below the nose. After completing the face, place the marshmallow on the glob of icing you placed on the cookie. After placing the head of the snowman on the glob using the black icing bag, draw little arms from the sides of the head of the snowman on the glob of icing. Then, still using the black icing bag, draw three small black dots from the front of the marshmallow leading to the end of the glob. Your result should be a smiling snowman, of which is sitting in its own melted puddle!
These are a few adorable, simple treats you can make if you are hosting a holiday party. For decorations, you can try designing hand-made snow-flakes or decorating wreaths.
Whether you are travelling, staying home, or throwing a party, enjoy your holiday! Merry Christmas, Chanuka Sameach, and Furaha Kwanzaa!
Article by the MoCo Student staff writer Corina Davis of BCC High School
Graphic by the MoCo Student graphic artist Angel Wen of Blair High School