Newhouse MVJ 2023

Making Spirits Bright

Christmas has many holiday traditions. Some are specific to the family and others are shared by many but the magic comes from the people who come together for the holidays.

There are many ways to celebrate the holidays. Christmas tree shopping is a great way to jump start the Christmas spirit.
Quinton Brown helps his nephew, Carter Latham pull their new Christmas tree to their car. This family tradition allows for the whole family to come together as they spring into the Christmas season.
Baking can bring people together over the holiday season. Ashley and Jacob VanAmburg build a gingerbread house together. Through its triumphs and collapse the couple laughed through it all.
When the gingerbread house met its demise of melting frosting and gravity the VanAmburg’s moved on to baking and decorating sugar cookies.
A mother and daughter shop for their friends Christmas presents together at a local Syracuse shop, Wildflowers Armory.
Friends catch up as they glide around the rink in Downtown Syracuse. The Clinton Square Ice Rink first opened in 2001 and has become one of Syracuse’s most popular winter attractions.
A couple keeps each other warm on their date night as they take in the views of the cities Christmas tree.
A common Christmas decoration is the Christmas wreath. The Springside Christmas Tree Farm makes wreaths on-site for customers to buy while they chop down their tree. Sarah Brabant (left) and Connie Shelby (right) prepare wreaths for the days customers.
One Wreath takes roughly an hour to make, Connie says. The wreath making job is a seasonal position from Thanksgiving to Christmas that she’s been doing for two years.
Children warm up by the fire after searching in the fields for their family Christmas tree.
Once the Christmas tree is up, those who may be too little to chop down their own tree can join in the fun. Daniel and Karley Gonzalez decorate their tree with their daughters Alaitz and Milena.
For every ornament that made it on the tree, little hands pulled three off.
Karly shows her daughter the top of the tree where they placed the more valuable ornaments. Both of their daughters have an ornament to signify their first Christmas. Next year they will have a third ornament on the tree as they expect a baby girl in February.
Kelsey Dornfeld

By Kelsey Dornfeld