The holiday season has arrived at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, and STA Raiders are engaging in all of the festive traditions to prepare their hearts to receive their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Christmas. From decorating classrooms to participating in holiday service events and attending Advent services, students are excited to get into the holiday spirit. As Father Mike Schmidt has highlighted in his viral Catholic campaign, Advent’s waiting isn’t passive; it’s an active, relational preparation to welcome Jesus into our lives permanently, not just for a season.

Christmas trees and wreaths, along with other festive decorations have filled the school hallways with cheer. Some classrooms have joined in the fun preparations as well, like Coach Dev’s AP Government class. Senior Gabriela Betancourt says, “I love making ornaments for Coach Dev’s tree. It brings our class together!”

Beyond decorations, Raiders are celebrating through Advent. Students enjoyed an Advent prayer service in their religion classes, led by their own classmates. Sophomore Markus Simpson said, “The service felt extra meaningful.” He especially appreciated seeing his peers take part.

Christmas Spirit Week began on December 9th and it culminated with the Sing-Along on December 16th. Each day from December 9th-16th, the STA Holiday Spirit week features a unique theme, which gives students a large variety of options to choose from for each day. This gives students the opportunity to dress up, show off their excitement, and mainly have fun.

The first day of the Holiday Spirit week is Tuesday December 9th, with Jolly Jetsetters: Next stop, North Pole! Students are encouraged to wear their best tourist gear but with a slight festive twist, which brings life to more creativity. Students were seen wearing sun glasses, Hawaiian shirts with Christmas accessories that combine into a fun and exciting start of the week. On Wednesday, December 10th, the theme was Christmas Chaos: Where festive meets frenzy! This day invited students to embrace the creative but chaotic nature of Christmas clothes. Students were seen wearing all sorts of Christmas sweaters, shirts, and chaotic colors that really symbolize the joyful nature of the holiday spirit. Thursday, December 11th,  brought out the school pride by adding in a Raider Christmas Takeover. Students were wearing blue and gold, the STA school colors, along with Christmas accessories which created a combination of school spirit and Christmas joy. Friday, December 12th, the holidays celebrated in Hollywood, where students dressed as their favorite holiday movie character, students were inspired by old nostalgic Holiday movies and new Christmas movies that signify something for each person. But it didn’t  end there.

Continuing on Monday, the theme for December 15th was Decked Out Duos. Friends paired up in duos and coordinated together for amazing holiday themed outfits which showed off their creativity and ability for teamwork. Tuesday, December 16th, wrapped up the festivities with Holiday Hierarchy: From Frosty to Santa. Each grade dressed according to a designated holiday role; Freshmen as Frosty the Snowman; Sophomores as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer; Juniors as Elves (Santa’s little Helpers); Seniors as Santa Claus. This offered an exciting grade-based finale to all of the celebrations. With all sorts of different themed outfits, a whole bunch of holiday spirit, and massive amounts of happiness, STA Christmas Spirit Week allowed students and staff to be united by their strong Catholic faith and embrace the spirit of the holidays. This was a perfect opportunity for building community, having fun, and making memories together.