This holiday season, NH’s festive spirit is carried on from home. While our halls are no longer full of holiday sweaters on Festive Friday or decked out locker doors, many students have decorated their rooms for the holiday season. Of 200 students polled, 83 percent have brought holiday cheer into their bedroom with twinkling lights, mini trees, and other cheerful décor.

     NH’s seniors have proven to be the most festive, roughly one third of the senior class decorates their bedroom for the holidays. For senior Maddy Danielczyk, the holiday season means a house decorated from top to bottom, and even her car. “I decorated my room this holiday season because I always have a lot of fun and it makes me feel really calm, especially with everything COVID related going on, it gives me a sense of normalcy.”

    Danielczyk also mentioned that she was one to participate in Festive Friday at school but that one of her favorite things during the holiday season at NH was class with Madame Arist. “Most of the teachers didn’t do much for the holiday season, but she always made a point to do holiday activities in her classroom and it made school so much more bearable and enjoyable during the holidays.”

     Senior Megan Carter also makes the best of this holiday season, for her family, Christmas music begins playing mid-October. While Carter mentions that she misses seeing the tree in the atrium as she runs to homeroom, Christmas in the Carter household is nothing short of special. “I decorated this year because I always decorate but especially this year, after everything that has happened it is important to take a break and decorate with family and enjoy the holiday season.”

     For some, this is their first holiday season at NH. Freshman Caiden Dugan states that Christmas is by far the best holiday of the year. While he has not yet participated in a Festive Friday or seen North Harford’s festive décor, he is hopeful that next year will be different. Despite this year’s holiday seasons challenges, the Dugan household is decked out and full of holiday spirit. “I decorated my room this holiday because it seems to make everything better, it’s fun, and it lightens the mood.” 

     Meanwhile sophomore Reilly Holmstrom has been working at a Christmas tree farm since Thanksgiving and will continue until Christmas Eve. While Holmstrom did not participate in Festive Friday her freshman year, this holiday season she has decorated her bedroom to welcome the holidays. “I decorated my room because I had a lot of time on my hands due to COVID. For my family Christmas usually means sleeping in and starting a little bit late because my dad is a local police officer and he has to work on holidays.”

     While staff and students alike will miss the festive nature of NH during the holiday season, many keep the holiday spirit alive as they decorate with family. This holiday season has its challenges but outside of the Hawk’s Nest students find holiday cheer in many different ways.