Cougar Christmas Traditions

The origins of Christmas stem way back to circa 0 CE, the approximate year that Jesus Christ was born. Christmas is a day of celebration for the birth of Jesus, and over the ages, new traditions have risen all over the globe. 

The 4th century CE marked the beginning of some of history’s most modern traditions: gift-giving and Santa Claus. The most traditional form of Santa is Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children, who was well known for his generosity in gifting things to young children in Myra, Greece. 

Sophomores Chase Kummer and John Hucko have their own very unique Christmas traditions. Chase stays in town during Christmas and chauffeurs Santa Claus around. Chase’s grandfather is a man with “a stature similar to Santa,” so every year, he decks out his friend's bright red 1990 corvette convertible with Christmas decor, and the two parade through the streets spreading Christmas cheer. 

Chase has ridden in the car “for as long as [he] can remember.” He stated that his grandfather has posed as Santa Claus for almost two decades now. Chase’s favorite part about his tradition is “seeing all the joy on the kid’s faces as they yell out their gift requests and wishes to Santa, just like [he] used to do.”

John Hucko spends his Christmases in much warmer weather in Melbourne, Australia. John’s “entire side of his mother’s family” lives in Australia, so every year they make the trip across the globe to visit. John stated that Christmas is celebrated “very differently in Australia.” As opposed to Charlotte’s near-freezing weather in the holiday season, temperatures in Melbourne climb as high as 95°. 

With this in mind, John and his family usually celebrate Christmas with the usual gift giving in the morning before spending the day out on the beach in the hot sun and having an outdoor barbecue for dinner. Another difference between Christmas in Charlotte and in Australia is the style of decoration. Christmas decorations in Australia, according to John, have more tropical themes. Additionally, meals around the holidays are lighter and fresher as opposed to traditional holiday meals in the United States. 

The student body of Charlotte Catholic all have varying Christmas traditions with family and friends. All of them stem from the same root: Enjoying time together while celebrating the festive holiday.