Our Holidays

At Rancho Cucamonga High School, students celebrate a variety of holidays. With a diverse population, many students celebrate different holidays, and here are some of them.

Christmas 

Christmas is a prominent cultural and religious holiday celebrated annually on December 25. Christmas comes from the Christian religion, and it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The story behind Christmas starts with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her spouse, Joseph, traveling to Bethlehem where Jesus was born in a manger. Afterward, an angel alerted shepherds of the birth of the son of God, and in turn, they gave their love, devotion, and gratitude to the baby. Following the star of Bethlehem, wise men from the east arrived to gift the baby gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Branching off of the physical gifts given to baby Jesus, the tradition of gift-giving is a central part of Christmas. Gift-giving has signified the growth of the holiday which has gone on to include many distinctive traditions from around the world. Enjoyed by Christians and non-Christians alike, celebrating this holiday has many shared activities.

Some of these shared activities are celebrating Santa Claus spurred by the Catholic bishop St. Nicholas (a patron saint known for generosity and kindness). Decorating Christmas trees has Germanic origins, Christmas caroling is from the British tradition of Wassail and Mumming, burning yule logs which were part of the ancient winter solstice, and putting wreaths up are similar to ancient Greek and Roman times.

While traditions vary, many choose to spend this holiday with their loved ones.

“Christmas is a time when you can get together with your family if you haven’t seen them for a long time,” said freshman Victoria Gutierrez. “In my family, we have a huge party where we have a lechon and we gather around it while saying our prayers.” 

Hanukkah 

Hanukkah, meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, is a widely celebrated Jewish holiday between November and December. Also known as the “festival of lights,” the holiday lasts for eight days to commemorate the recovery of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. This year, Hanukkah starts on Dec 25, 2024, and ends on Thursday, Jan 2, 2025.

Following each of the eight nights is the lighting of an additional candle on a menorah. The story behind the tradition comes from the Maccabes who resisted for their freedom from the Syrian Greeks and regained the Second Temple of Jerusalem with little resources. The lighting of each candle represents the miracle of the pure oil from the temple burning miraculously for eight days and eight nights.

For Hanukkah, families typically light a menorah, eat food fried in oil, play dreidel, and exchange gifts. Sophomore Natalie Kruchinsky’s family passes out small gifts for all of the eight days as thoughtful gestures. 

“All of our family members come over on a specific day and we all celebrate and hang out,” Kruchinsky said

To Kruchinsky, it is an important part of her life that she’s been raised with.

Kwanzaa 

Kwanzaa is an annual African-American and Pan-African holiday that starts on December 26 and ends on January 1. The name comes from the Kiswahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruit.” The holiday is secular and, like the name, draws from “first fruits” or harvest celebrations around Africa. 

The relatively young holiday was founded in Los Angeles by activist Maulana Karenga in 1966. Karenga was a key figure in the Black Power movement. As a result of the Watts riots, as he was non-Christian, Kwanzaa was born. 

As a key figure in the Black Power movement and as a result of the Watts riot, Karenga created Kwanzaa. Karenga’s goal was to give Black people a holiday with the promise of celebrating Black history specifically.

Cultural heritage and traditional values are exhibited in the holiday with the seven principles of Kwanzaa. These principles are Umoji (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujimaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). 

A major symbol of Kwanzaa, representing each principle, is Mishumaa Saba, the seven candles. Each of the seven candles are different colors, black representing Black people themselves, red standing for struggle and resilience, and green standing for hope and the future. The black candle is the first to be lit, and on the following days, the candles will be lit left to right.

The Mishumaa Saba tradition helps to put together the Kwanzaa display, which also includes Kanzara (the candle holder), Mazao (the crops), Vibunzi (an ear of corn), Mkeka (the placemat), Kikombe Cha Umoja (the unity cup), and Zawadi (gifts).

More Kwanzaa traditions consist of sharing faith, having meaningful discussions on principles, dressing in traditional African clothing, having feasts, and giving meaningful gifts.

Senior Sydne’ Vickers celebrates Kwanzaa with the traditions of lighting the 7 candles and getting agift everyday during the holiday.  

“Kwanza to me is a way to connect to my African American roots, coming from a multi-cultural family, I find it’s important to celebrate all parts of yourself,” said Vickers.

New Years 

Celebrated worldwide, New Year’s commemorates the beginning of a new year. While the first recorded celebration of the new year was in about 2000 BCE in Mesopotamia, following the vernal equinox, today, we use the Jullian calendar which was first used in 45 BC.

Some common traditions surrounding New Year’s in the United States include getting together with family or close friends, staying up until midnight to greet the new year, playing the song Auld Lang Syne, watching the ball drop, making noise, and making a toast.

Although, around the world, there are many more interesting traditions. In Columbia, a common practice is carrying around an empty suitcase around your house to set yourself up for adventure. Before the clock strikes midnight, in Spain, eating 12 grapes that represent each month will bring you good luck for the year. Hanging onions outside is customary in Greece to bring good fortune. To welcome the new year in the Philippines, having 12 round fruits represents prosperity for the next 12 months. In Brazil, wearing white will bring you peace for the next year. Finally, in Denmark, smashing old plates means thank you and welcomes the New Year. 

Getting the tradition from his mom, on New Year’s day, junior Vesper Woidyla eats 12 grapes representing each month.

“If the grape is sour then that stands for a month, so say I ate my first grape and it was sour, that means January is going to be a bad month, and if the grape is sweet then that means the month will be a good month,” Woidyla  said 

Lunar/Chinese New Years 

Lunar and Chinese New Year will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. The holidays are celebrated annually, but the date differs every year. Instead of following the Jullian calendar, celebrations follow the lunar phases. These holidays are the same but the name contrasts in the regions where they are celebrated.

Although primarily celebrated in China, the Lunar New Year is also recognized in South Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The length of the celebration varies. In China, it lasts for 15 days, but in South Korea, it lasts for three days. This holiday allows for citizens to take longer days off- most taking at least 5 days off. 

New Year and Lunar New Year welcome the new year’s prosperity and luck through lively celebrations of their culture. Some of the traditions include red envelopes that contain money, lion and dragon dances in parades and performances, fireworks and firecrackers, and simply spending time with family and worshiping their ancestors. 

In addition, food traditions are important for Lunar and Chinese New Year to ensure good luck for the upcoming year. Some of the important dishes that are traditionally served are Yi Mein, sticky rice, whole steamed fish, spring rolls, dumplings, Tangyuan, hot pot, tangerines, Peking duck, and Dan Dan noodles. Each dish has a specific meaning. For instance, tangerines symbolize the bringing of good fortune in Chinese New Year and are often displayed or eaten in even groups. 

To junior Fiora Wang, Lunar New Year is special to her because it reminds her of her culture and my parents’ traditions. She compared Lunar New Years to Thanksgiving where families gather and feast.

“On Lunar New Years, I eat hotpot, or my mom makes a whole feast for us to eat, and sometimes she goes out and buys a whole roasted duck. Then, my mom gives out money to my brother and I,” Wang said

Celebrations on Campus 

With the abundance of different holidays celebrated by RCHS students, it makes sense that there would be many celebrations on campus.

Pinoy ATBP is celebrating Christmas within their club by explaining the significance of Christmas to Filipino culture, as it starts all the way in September, and making parols.   commonly made out of bamboo and Japanese paper which represent the star of Bethlehem. 

Black Student Union is honoring all holidays like Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Diwali. Members in BSU want to make sure that all of their members are brought to light.

Asian Student Union & Vietnamese Student Association clubs are collaborating to celebrate Lunar New Year by talking about what the holiday is and playing traditional Lunar New Year games with their members.

On January 29, the Chinese Culture Club will be celebrating Chinese New Year where they will be discussing some traditions like eating dumplings, watching Chunwan, and cleaning and decorating their houses while having a potluck.