At ACHS, there is a diverse range of religious and ethnic holidays being celebrated during this month. Though some consider November to be a month of thanks due to Thanksgiving, there are many other holidays celebrated during this time.
On Nov. 1, Day of the Dead (Días de los Muertos) is celebrated amongst some Mexican families remembering the loved ones they have lost. This holiday is celebrated all day with family members, and generational traditions are carried out. Senior Kelly Albiter celebrates Días de los Muertos with the ones she loves most to carry out her family’s traditions. Albiter said her family makes food and items for the loved ones that are being remembered.
“Dias de los Muertos is an important holiday because my whole family gets together, even the ones we’ve lost,” Albiter said. “We remember who they were and what they were like we make this shrine called an ofrenda, which has pictures of loved ones that are no longer here.”
Diwali took place on Nov. 4 which varies on when it is celebrated; the Indian calendar determines the date for the new year. The date of the new year is based on the moon and Indian calendar, and the important event typically ends up between October and November. Junior Emma Patel celebrated this holiday with her family and kept their traditions alive.
“During Diwali, my family eats together, worship Gods at the Hindu temple for prosperity and wealth, illuminates their houses with lamps and lights and gifts are shared between loved ones,” Patel said. “This holiday symbolizes the spiritual victory of ‘good versus evil’ because the good is represented with the lights, which prevent the darkness from coming through.”
Another holiday in November is one that is often not overlooked: Thanksgiving, which took place on Nov. 25, 2021. Many families celebrate this holiday differently, ranging from eating different foods to having different people present. Junior Kynara Lopez and her family use this event to grow closer together and to create new memories.
“For my family, Thanksgiving is a day of reflection; it’s being thankful for what we have now and being able to stop what you’re doing and realize what’s around you,” Lopez said. “It’s also a day of showing appreciation and love towards each other because everybody in my family works really hard, and we’re always working together.”
This event is usually an all-day celebration, but different families have different traditions. Sophomore Aiden Van Alstine and his family spend the day together and have many activities throughout the day.
“On Thanksgiving, we traditionally watch football, play other games like cornhole or darts and we eat foods like turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes,” Van Alstine said.
Finally, Hanukkah begins this year on Nov. 28 and lasts until Dec. 6. Hanukkah is celebrated throughout those several days, but different activities take place. Freshman Jadelyn Nguyen and her family celebrate Hanukkah and eat many different kinds of foods.
“We will light the candles and get a gift for each day we light a candle,” Nguyen said. “Making new memories and getting gifts is always fun, and food can get blessed by a Rabbi. We like to eat lots of bread, potato pancakes, matzoh, matzoh ball soup, chopped liver, cabbage soup and kugel.”
November hosts a multitude of holidays, though some are oftentimes overlooked. The ACHS student body celebrates a diverse range of events with their families, continuing new and old traditions throughout the calendar year.
