As finals near and holiday break is just around the corner, students are starting to think about what they do for the holidays.

While some might travel and some might never leave their houses, students do different things when the holidays come around.

Lucas Porcelli, a freshman exploratory major, spends his holiday break at home and celebrates with immediate family. Porcelli says his sister comes home for the holiday and they spend the day relaxing and watching Christmas movies and “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”

Junior nursing major Lena Parteleno also spends her holidays at home, and friends and family come over for lunch or dinner. 

“One of my favorite childhood memories is helping my mom put up her Santa collection.” Parteleno said. “She has 50-plus Santas we put up around the house, and we have been doing it for years.”

Freshman zoology major Riley Parker always gets together with family for the holiday. Parker travels every year to her grandparents’ house, where she will helps her parents and grandparents bake.

“Traditionally, we play board games and GameCube, more the old-style stuff,” Parker said.

Jordan Priddy, a junior marketing major, also does some traveling for the holiday.

“We go to my aunt’s and church on Christmas morning,” Priddy said. “We do gifts at my parents’ and at my aunt’s, and we all cook together.”

Priddy also said she and her older brother always go and see Santa the day after Thanksgiving.

Some people get together and have family parties, like freshman digital media production major Keith Medvetz does for the holiday.

Medvetz’s dad’s side of the family always has a family party for the holiday, and he usually attends when he isn’t working.

“Waking up early and opening presents was a tradition when I was younger,” Medvetz said.

He also remembered one year watching the Polar Express movie with his mom at 4 a.m. on Christmas Day.

Some students don’t have their entire family close by to have get-togethers and celebrate with family like others do. Sophomore biotechnology major Sabrina Adjiri used to celebrate the holiday with her family when she lived in California, but after moving to Ohio, there isn’t much family to celebrate with.

“Celebrating big is a lot of effort for just three of us,” Adjiri said.

Adjiri said because she’s Italian, every year for Christmas, they make seven different fish dishes to represent the seven fishes, which is part of a Southern Italian custom to celebrate Christmas.

“We went to a movie once on Christmas, but as long as you’re all together, it’s ‘Christmas-y,’” Adjiri said.  

Paige Verma is the student life reporter for The Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].