We are excited to share the winning stories of the 2022 BK Newspaper Holiday Writing Contest! Tied for first place are Gaby Stanton (Senior) and Natalie Sancha (Senior). Congratulations!
My Childhood Wigilia
Tied 1st Place Winner: Gaby Stanton
A unique holiday tradition that has a special place in my heart is the Polish Christmas Eve dinner that my Grandma puts on. My Grandparents live in Rochester, Michigan, a town that is home to a large and vibrant Polish population. Some of my favorite memories from my childhood have been visiting my grandparents and eating my Grandma’s steaming hot gołąbki (stuffed cabbages) and thick pierogi (traditional potato dumplings) that she spent hours making. I remember waking up to the foul yet exciting scent of steaming cabbages and seeing my Grandma covered in flour as she rolled out the pierogi dough, or padoggie dough, as my juvenile-self liked to call it. My engrossment in my Grandma’s culture only doubled around Christmastime, as my grandparents’ Polish traditions were immersed with classic American ones. The excitement commenced with the decorating of the tree in bulbs and popcorn strands, and my Grandpa placing a glowing star, or gwiazda, on the top branches whilst simultaneously complaining about his shaky knees. The energy reached its highest point when my Grandma could be found cooking up a storm in the kitchen preparing for Wigilia, the traditional Polish family Christmas eve dinner. After a prolonged day of sneaking into the kitchen to watch my Grandma prepare the meal, my family finally sat down at the dining room table jam-packed with food and pine-scented candles. The food smelled heavenly, but before we could dig in it was time for my favorite Polish tradition: the breaking of the op∤atek wafers. What looks simply like a tasteless and plain cracker is part of a sweet and heartfelt display of togetherness and love. Each person at the table has a piece of op∤atek, a square wafer with images of the baby Jesus and blessed Mary delicately printed on top. Each family member then breaks off a piece of their wafer and trades in with those sitting around them, so at the end of the exchange each person has a pile of pieces from different nativity scenes sitting on their plates. This seemingly odd tradition symbolizes sharing all that is good in life, and whilst I have distinct memories of bickering with my sister for the wafer piece with Mary or baby Jesus on it, represents spreading joy to the ones you love most. After crunching on our piles of op∤ateks and indulging in the meal of pierogies, large kielbasa sausages, my aunt’s “concrete” mashed potatoes, and of course homemade Christmas cookies, me and my sister were put to bed full of good food and anticipation for the morning to come. Now as a teenager living far from Rochester and nearing my last holiday season as a kid, I have to admit I took my childhood Christmases for granted. Though the Polish Christmases young Gaby thought were ordinary are not quite the norm anymore, the memories always resurface each holiday season reminding me of how influential the closeness of a family can be.
Las Posadas
Tied 1st Place Winner: Natalie Sancha
We have a special connection to Christmas because it has a special meaning for me and my family. During the Christmas season, my family celebrates Las Posadas every year. Christmas in Mexico and some parts of the United States begins on December 16 and lasts for nine nights, with the final celebration taking place on Christmas Eve. As well as food, drinks, pinatas, music and more, posadas in Mexico also feature a host of other activities.
In the 1500s, Catholic missionaries brought the tradition of las posadas to Mexico from Spain, which commemorates the story of Mary and Joseph searching for a Posada ( Spanish word for an Inn or hotel) in Bethlehem before child Jesus was born. As a result, the tradition of the posadas follows the journey of Mary and Joseph. Their search for shelter in the Nativity story leads them to knock on the doors of all the inns in the town before they find refuge in one. There were nine months when Mary was pregnant with Jesus, so the celebration represents those nine months. In the beginning of the posadas, families and friends are divided into two groups, one outside and one inside; thus, the people outside symbolize Mary and Joseph asking for refuge, while the people inside symbolize the innkeepers who reject Mary and Joseph by singing the song “os pido Posada” (a Spanish phrase that means “I ask you for shelter”).
Traditionally, Las Posadas have been celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries like Guatemala, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, etc. There are parties during the posadas where the children break the pinatas, which symbolize the seven deadly sins that are broken as soon as Maria and José receive a place to live. The piñata is usually filled with candy, and when it is fully broken, a prayer is said, and the celebration begins. For us Latinos (Spanish speakers) in general word for hispanic people), the tradition of las posadas is so special because it is a time to reflect and meditate of what Christmas really means and why we celebrate and it is a time to reflect that is reflects on the concepts of humanity, joy, purity, strength., generosity, and this act is a spiritual act, across all religions around the globe to look inside one’s own self and try to become better at each of those qualities.
Ultimately, the special meaning of my family’s tradition that the world should take from it is that Christmas is more than just giving and receiving gifts. Jesus’ birth is the focus of the story, and how much God loves us that he sent us the most beautiful and precious gift that will change the world and make it a more loving and special place.
The Bishop Kelly Newspaper 
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