Tag Archives: christmas

PRIZM, Student Creative Writing

The Christmas glow

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By: Canaan Nonnemacher

Image created with Microsoft Copilot

The smell of balsam fills the room, as colorful lights begin to bloom. Red and green on every street, and candy canes for a sugary treat.

We hang stockings by the fire, as the snowy drifts grow even higher. The kitchen hums with holiday cheer, the best and brightest time of year.

The reindeer fly across the moon, to classic, catchy Christmas tune. Wrapped in ribbons, gold and bright, waiting for magic of the night.

So grab a scarf and join the fun, with joy and peace for everyone. The silver bells begin to ring, for all the wonder Christmas brings.

Advice/How To

Things to do to make the most of Winter Break

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By: Kumari Wijetunge

A view of the Mississippi River from the trails in Crosby Farm Regional Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, February 3, 2016. By: National Park Service-courtesy of Wikimedia Commons 

During winter break many people will leave town or even the country to see family and friends or just for a vacation, but some people will stay home during break. And since many places are closed and friends are out of town, winter break can seem boring or lonely, so here are five things you can do during break to keep yourself busy and make the most of it.

Visit a local Christmas market:

Christmas markets are a great way to take in local Minnesota traditions and Christmas spirit. Here are some options: European Christmas market in St. Paul, which is held in Union Depot, has over 70 different vendors, holiday themed activities, and live entertainment. Another notable option is Dayton’s Holiday Market in Minneapolis. Located in the Nicollet Mall this market has a mix of festive decor, holiday treats, and local artisans. These markets are great places to visit during break.

Visit a llama farm:

There are a few great llama farms in Minnesota and many of these locations let you feed, pet, and take photos with them. Places like Carlsons’s Llovable Llama in Waconia and Pauley Alpaca company in Rochester are awesome places to hang out with some llamas!

Ice castles:

Minnesota Ice Castles have super impressive ice structures, the location changes every year and prices vary depending on what day you go. But no matter what, it’s a super fun experience with ice slides, caverns, tunnels, and many more exciting adventures in ice.

Art Shanty Projects:

The Art Shanty Projects is an immersive art program that takes place on the frozen surface of Minneapolis’ Bdé Umán/Lake Harriet.

Saint Paul Winter Carnival:

The Saint Paul Winter Carnival invites a great lineup of events to experience in Saint Paul. It is the oldest winter festival in the United States. Many events that the carnival offers are free, both traditional favorites and new attractions, that cater to all ages.

Travel/Food

Holiday things to do in New York City

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By: Sophia Elmstrom & Lily Sheldon

The month of December is such a magical time to be in New York City. There are endless activities to do or see in the Big Apple. Coming to the city can be a great way to celebrate the holiday season. Here are 7 things you can do this Christmas in NYC.

1. Book tickets to see The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. The Rockettes are a classic wintertime spectacular to see when visiting New York City; many families make it a tradition to see them every year. It is such a cool experience and it can ignite your holiday cheer!

2. Visit the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The Rockefeller tree is a classic destination for holiday lovers in NYC during December. The amazing 74 foot tall tree is decorated in over 50,000 lights for the holiday season and is a perfect place to go for photos with the family or by yourself.

3. Going to F.A.O. Schwartz. F.A.O. Schwarz is a toy store that is filled with holiday spirit this time of year. This store is well known in the movie ‘Home Alone’ 2, and inside it is decorated beautifully for Christmas. It has 2 floors but it was crowded making it seem smaller than in the movies. It is a great place to visit, but you have to be willing to wait in the long line to get inside. This long line can be worth it because when you turn the corner the Rockefeller tree is there and it is the closest you can get to it, so it is a perfect place to take a few pictures without crowds!

4. Visiting the Plaza Hotel. The Plaza Hotel is a beautiful hotel decorated elegantly for Christmas. Although the hotel itself is not open for visitors, and only guests, you can go around the corner to the shops at the plaza and look at the beautiful Christmas decorations while shopping.

5. Going to see the lights in Dyker Heights. Seeing a Christmas light display is not what you would expect to see when going to NYC but if you take the subway to Dyker Heights, just 39 minutes away from Manhattan, there is a neighborhood with many houses decked out for Christmas with many food trucks and lots of hot chocolate!

6. If you are walking near Rockefeller Plaza to see the tree, stop by Bryant Park to visit their annual Christmas market. You can do lots of holiday shopping and there are local crafts and other gifts at the shops as well. The Winter Village is also a big hit with its food and drink. It is more on the pricey side, but there are lots of fun holiday snacks and drinks available at different vendors and cafés. The Bryant Park Winter Village is a great place to grab a bite to eat, visit some shops, and experience the winter wonderland!

7. Another fun activity you can do downtown is ice skating at the Rockefeller Plaza. This seasonal rink is iconic in New York as you are skating right under the Rockefeller Christmas tree. This is definitely something that you want to check off on your list if you are traveling to the city. The rink is open all day and is a super fun way to experience the city’s holiday spirit with family and friends.

Overall, visiting New York City during the Christmas season is a great way to make the most of the holidays. There are so many attractions to see, shows to watch, and activities to do. There is really no other place that has this charm like New York City does during Christmas time. With all of the twinkling lights and decorations, the city is bursting with holiday cheer that is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Home Alone’ movie review

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By: Sophia Elmstrom and Lily Sheldon

*Warning: this review contains spoilers

‘Home Alone’ is an American holiday comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and was made in 1990. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, and the cast features Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard and Catherine O’Hara. This film is also the 1st movie out of 4, along with 2 other versions. The film grossed $476.7 million worldwide, becoming the second highest grossing film of 1990. This movie was a big hit, but before we share our thoughts here is a rundown of the plot.

The movie starts with Kevin and his huge family getting ready to spend Christmas in Paris. Everyone is staying at Kevin’s house the night before they leave. Kevin’s siblings and cousins are running around the house preparing for this vacation. No one in the family will help Kevin pack his bag which results in Kevin eventually getting sent up to the attic after ruining the family dinner when arguing with his cousin. Kevin is very upset and is sick of his family picking on him. When he is up in the attic Kevin wishes that his family would disappear.

That night, there is a power outage due to snow, and all the alarm clocks in the house were reset. This causes everyone in the house to oversleep, and they have to rush to get to the airport in the morning. While Kevin’s family is rushing to get to the airport in the morning, Kevin accidentally gets left behind. Kevin wakes up to the house being empty, and is very happy that his wish to not have a family came true. Kevin loves having the house to himself, and is taking advantage of that. Kevin’s house then becomes watched by the “Wet Bandits”, Harry and Marv who are neighborhood burglars. Kevin tricks Harry and Marv into thinking that his family is still home. This makes them hold off on their plans to rob Kevin’s house.

Kevin’s mom, Kate, realizes on her flight that Kevin was left at home. When they get to Paris, Kate tries to get on a flight home. Kate makes it to Pennsylvania, but cannot get on a flight back home to Chicago because all the flights are booked and the phone lines are still down in Chicago. Kate meets a guy named Gus at the airport, and Gus offers to let her travel with them to Chicago in a moving van with his band.

On Christmas Eve, Harry and Marv realize that Kevin is the only one inside his house. Kevin hears them discussing plans to break into his house that night. Kevin sets up his whole house with traps. When Harry and Marv break in, they set off all of the traps in the house, making them regret the robbery. Kevin calls the police and Harry and Marv get arrested.

Kevin is disappointed that his family is still gone on Christmas Day. Kevin’s mom finally makes it home and surprises Kevin. The rest of Kevin’s family comes home shortly after. Kevin is glad that his family is home.

‘Home Alone’ received a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.7/10 from IMDb. Overall, the audience rating summary was a 4.8 with many people saying it was a classic Christmas movie with a nostalgic feeling.

We agree with this rating of the audience but we believe that Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb should have given it a higher rating as it is a very good movie. We both watch this Christmas movie every year with our family and it brings us lots of Christmas memories. We overall rate this a 9/10 because it has that nostalgic Christmas feeling and reminds us of our childhood.

You can watch ‘Home Alone’ on Disney Plus.

Editorials/Student Voice, Events

Christmas is America’s most popular holiday

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By: Isabel Strack

Image created: Freepik AI

There is a survey on YouGov.com that shows that more than ⅓ of America stated that Christmas is their favorite holiday.

Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ who people believe in as the son of God. The name “Christmas” comes from the mass of Christ which is a mass service. Mass service is where Christians can remember that Jesus had died for us then came back alive. Christmas was a holiday in the mid-1800s. It was seen as a day of peace and rest.

Many people also enjoy celebrating Christmas because that is when you can see your loved ones that you may not have seen in a while. Some people will celebrate with just their immediate family and others will celebrate with their extended family. It is very common for people to have family reunions over the holidays. It’s a perfect time to spend with family, as you can decorate your Christmas tree with ornaments or make some Christmas baked goods. It is a celebration of love. The Christmas season provides great opportunities to strengthen bonds with friends and family.

You could also get gifts for yourself and other people. If you love giving gifts to other people this is a perfect opportunity to do that. It’s also a perfect time to do secret Santa with your friends, family cousins, etc. Secret Santa is like another word for a gift exchange, but Secret Santa can be a little bit different. In Secret Santa you don’t know who’s giving you your gift or what you are getting. You only know who you’re getting a gift for. You can pick names out of a hat or find an app that can pick the names for you.

Christmas falls on a different day every year so sometimes it’s hard to plan a time to get together with your family, but if you are able to plan it right it is always worth it. Christmas is a perfect time to pause and spend quality time with loved ones.

Travel/Food

THE BEST CHRISTMAS DESSERTS TO EAT

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By: Grace Lopez

1. Gingerbread cookies

Photo by Damir on Pexels.com

These cookies have a really good cinnamon, strong and sweet flavor. This is such a good snack to have every Christmas and whenever you want. This type of cookie is also really popular to make and use to make gingerbread houses and decorate them with frosting and small candies.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-gingerbread-cookies/

2. Brownies

Brownies are an awesome chocolate, gooey snack. A lot of people really like to snack on them daily. Brownies are also a really popular snack for any occasion. A lot of people also like to put different toppings on the brownie like sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, frosting, etc.

https://www.loveandlemons.com/brownies-recipe/

3. Sugar cookies

Sugar cookies are one of my favorite cookies to have on Christmas. They are really good and amazing to eat and a lot of people also like them with frosting. Sugar cookies are also really popular for Christmas and the holiday seasons.

https://sugarspunrun.com/easy-sugar-cookie-recipe/

4. Pecan pie cheesecake

Pecan pie cheesecake is also an absolute favorite to have on Christmas. A lot of people really like the sweetness of the cheesecake combined with the taste of the pecans and it is really good to eat.

https://www.thekitchn.com/pecan-pie-cheesecake-22956001

5. Peanut butter snowballs

This dessert is perfect if you really like a peanut butter and chocolate combined flavor. This is a really popular dessert for the peanut butter lovers. This snack tastes really good with any type of chocolate dipped in it. I personally like it with white chocolate but you can choose any type of chocolate.

https://lilluna.com/peanut-butter-snowballs/

Advice/How To, Entertainment

Advent calendar activities

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By: Priya Anderson & Ruby Anderson

For those who celebrate Christmas, participating in advent is a fun way to celebrate during the holiday season with friends and family. Here are five fun winter and Christmas activities to put on your advent calendar this year.

1. Decorating for Christmas

Some people might claim the best part of the Christmas season are the lights and decorations and most people who celebrate Christmas decorate anyway, so adding this to your advent calendar can make it more exciting. There are so many ways you can decorate for Christmas. For example, you can hang up stockings and wreaths as well as decorate a Christmas tree with ornaments, tinsel and lights. You can also decorate outside and spread the Christmas spirit to others around you. Decorating with your family or friends can be a fun way to spend time together while also making your home feel festive and cozy.

2. Ice skating and Sledding

Going outside during the winter months can be hard because of the cold weather but ice skating is a great way to spend some time outside and enjoy the winter months even if they aren’t your favorite. Especially if it’s on your advent calendar, it’s even more reason to do it! There are many ice rinks around the Twin Cities to visit which have skates to rent if you don’t own your own pair. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, going ice skating can create a fun and memorable day.

If ice skating isn’t for you, another great outdoor activity you can do is going sledding. Sledding can be an easier activity compared to ice skating and is still a lot of fun. As long as there’s snow, you can use almost any hill to go sledding which makes it a very accessible activity as well.

3. Watching Christmas movies

Watching Christmas movies can be a fun way to celebrate Christmas in the comfort of your own home. There are many great movies to watch during the Christmas season including favorites such as ‘Elf’, ‘Home Alone’, ‘The Polar Express’, ‘The Grinch’, ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer‘, and many more. Making popcorn and hot chocolate is our favorite snack to have during a Christmas movie marathon and the perfect treat to have. Sitting down and turning on any of the Christmas movies we mentioned or any holiday movie is another easy way to get into the holiday mood.

4. Baking Christmas cookies

One of the most popular advent calendar activities is baking Christmas cookies. This is a tradition favored by many and is another fun way to bring the Christmas spirit into your home, as well as an excuse to eat delicious treats. There are many different cookies to choose from based on your preference from gingerbread to snickerdoodle. You can even decorate sugar cookies to look like Santa Claus, a Christmas tree, or a snowman! Invite friends and family to fill your home with the sweet smell of cookies and make sure you don’t miss out on this advent activity.

5. Building snowmen

A tradition many people look forward to during the winter is building snowmen. As kids we loved building snowmen and sometimes forget it’s another fun and simple way to enjoy going outside during winter. If it snows enough, bundle up and go take the chance to have some fun in the snow and use your creativity to build whatever you can imagine. Whether you can only build a simple snowman or if you can sculpt a masterpiece, don’t forget to put this classic activity on your advent calendar this year.

Advice/How To, Events

Top 5 Christmas activities

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By: Isabel Strack

Image created with Pixabay:https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-christmas-8400419/

Putting up Christmas decorations

Whether you decide to get a fake Christmas tree or a real one, making a perfect tree is a classic Christmas activity. Many people think that putting up Christmas decorations in November is too early, but studies show that people who put Christmas decorations up early are happier. A lot of people enjoy putting decorations up with their family, especially when you’re decorating your Christmas trees. Christmas trees are some of the most popular and traditional symbols of the Christmas season.

Building gingerbread houses

Many people enjoy building gingerbread houses during the Christmas season, but outside the holiday season it doesn’t get much recognition. You can make your own gingerbread house by scratch, or like many others you can buy a gingerbread kit from a store if you want things to be easier.

Exchange gifts/Secret Santa

During the holiday season it’s very popular for friend groups or family to do gift exchanges. If you aren’t aware of what a gift exchange or Secret Santa is; it’s basically where you and your group of family friends draw a name out of a hat and whatever name you get is the person you buy the gift for. There will usually be a budget you have to stay in for the gift.

Bake Christmas cookies

A classic Christmas tradition for families during the holiday season is to bake festive Christmas cookies together. Many people will use Christmas cookie cutters for the cookie dough to make it into holiday shapes like trees, bells, stars, wreaths, etc. Once your cookies are out of the oven you should let them cool down and then you can decorate the cookies with whatever color icing you like and any sprinkles you’d want to use.

Build a snowman

It’s like a tradition every Christmas season for kids to build a snowman right after it snows. Once you throw your jacket on and gloves to build your snowman you can use carrots for the nose, blueberries for the eyes, buttons, and mouth. If you have old hats and scarfs laying around your house you can add those to your snowman. This is a great activity to do in the winter when you’re bored and want to feel festive.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Elf’ movie review

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By: Lily Sheldon & Sophie Elmstrom

*Warning: This review contains spoilers.

The movie ‘Elf’ is a comedy Christmas movie starring Zooey Deschanel and Will Ferrell. It was directed by Jon Favreau and was released on November 7th, 2003. This movie is a fan favorite amongst many Christmas fans and we will give you a rundown.

The movie starts when Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) is accidentally transported to the North Pole as a baby and raised with Santa’s elves. One elf (Bob Newhart) in particular stands up and becomes Buddy’s “father”. Buddy realizes that he doesn’t fit in when he starts towering over the elves, so he travels to New York to find his real father (James Caan). Santa (Edward Asner) gives Buddy a warning ahead of time informing Buddy that his father is on the naughty list and Buddy is determined to fix him.

Buddy goes through quite the journey while he is walking to New York City, including a scuffle with a local raccoon. Once Buddy arrives he soon realizes that people aren’t as nice as they seem to be. He visits his father’s office in the Empire State Building but Buddy is quickly kicked out by the security. With nowhere to go Buddy finds himself at the store Gimbels and gets mistaken for a worker at their Christmas area. He meets Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) who shows a cold personality towards the Christmas season and is just at her job for the money.

Buddy learns that Santa is visiting the store the next day and spends all night setting up decorations for “Santa”. Buddy then causes a brawl when he realizes this mall Santa is not in fact the one he knew in the North Pole. Buddy goes to jail and his father picks him up with resentment towards him, but he gives in and takes Buddy to get a DNA test where they soon discover that Buddy is in fact his real son.

Once Buddy finds a place to stay with his father and brother he begins hanging out with Jovie a lot more and introduces her to why Christmas is the best holiday. They soon fall in love with each other.

Walter, Buddy’s father, works as a publisher and gets fired once Buddy runs away from home and he has to leave his meeting to search for him. Michael (Buddy’s half brother) is concerned and scared for his safety while he and Walter frantically search for Buddy. While on this search, on Christmas Eve, Santa’s real sleigh crashes in Central Park, and Buddy and his family are left to save Christmas. In order to save this holiday they must make the holiday spirit come back to life as this is how Santa’s sleigh is powered. Many people in the park begin to sing Christmas carols and it generates enough energy to power his sleigh. Christmas is saved and Buddy makes a book about his adventure to New York with his father’s publishing company. Buddy marries Jovie and they bring their newborn to the North Pole to visit Papa Elf.

This movie received 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.1/10 on IMDb. Some audience reviews loved the humor aspect of the movie, and the light-hearted feel. People also really enjoyed seeing Will Ferrell as Buddy, as they think he fit the role very well with his humor. Reviewers think that this is one of the best Christmas movies out there and it will put you in the holiday spirit with a smile on your face.

Overall, we rated this movie a 10/10. It is very funny, and a classic Christmas movie. We have both watched this movie countless times, and it never fails to keep us entertained. We think the story line is very unique and that they casted the movie perfectly. This movie gives us more Christmas cheer every time we watch it. We are so glad to have this heart-warming comedy for the holiday season.

You can watch ‘Elf’ on Hulu.

Travel/Food

Top 5 Christmas desserts

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By: Isabel Strack

Image created with Pixabay:https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-christmas-8400419/

There are many dessert options for Christmas, but these are the most popular ones and here’s why.

Peppermint bark

Peppermint bark is a very popular Christmas dessert, and here is why. Many people like peppermint bark because it is very easy to make and tastes delicious.

You can bring it to family gatherings or even just to have in your house when you’re wanting something sweet.

To make it, all you need to do is melt a white chocolate bar, cut up some candy canes, and then you just chill it and it’s ready to eat. Peppermint bark is a big crowd pleaser and you will get many compliments on your baking skills.

Here is a link to a recipe for Peppermint bark: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a41534277/peppermint-bark-recipe/

Gingerbread cookies

Gingerbread cookies are also another big Christmas treat, and here is why. Many people enjoy these types of cookies because they just look and taste like Christmas.

These gingerbread cookies have been a popular dessert for awhile now, so many people will assume someone will bring it to a gathering.

These cookies started when Russian bakers would make these cookies as a replica for the people attending the party that day or evening.

These cookies will be very easy to bake as long as you have a cookie cutter.

Here is a link to a recipe for Gingerbread cookies: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-gingerbread-cookies/

Frosted sugar cookies

These cookies are very fun and easy to make. You can make these cookies into fun shapes, and cool designs that you can frost on.

Many people already have their own recipe for these cookies, and enjoy baking them with their family for the holidays.

These cookies are pretty easy to make and are a fan favorite.

Here is a link to a recipe for Frosted sugar cookies: https://sugarspunrun.com/easy-sugar-cookie-recipe/#recipe

Mint brownies

These brownies aren’t as popular as the desserts I talked about before, but still taste delicious and everyone will enjoy them. They are a little bit more hard to make than the others but are still pretty easy to make, and will be worth it in the end.

Many people don’t know about this dessert, but once you bring it to a gathering people will be telling you how delicious they are and asking what the recipe is.

Here is a link to a recipe for Mint brownies: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/classic-mint-chocolate-brownies/#tasty-recipes-74358

Caramelized pecans

This also isn’t as popular as the other desserts, but it is one of the easiest and best tasting desserts you can make.

If you aren’t a very good baker or just don’t enjoy baking that much these pecans are the way to go.

Although it is very easy to make, it is still very good and will make your whole house smell like Christmas.

Here is a link to a recipe for Caramelized pecans: https://stripedspatula.com/stovetop-caramelized-pecans/#wprm-recipe-container-11234