Christmas is the time of the year when family and friends gather together to celebrate and have a wonderful time, but that doesn’t always go as planned.

Have you ever had such a bad Christmas? Maybe you have or maybe you haven’t, but some students here at San Bernardino High sure have!

Ricardo Alcala

Ricardo’s worst Christmas experience was last year when his dad got caught by ice. He continued to explain how it was the worst because they didn’t get to know if he was going to be okay.

He felt hurt because they were supposed to spend family time together. His family and dad were involved. The whole situation made him feel sad because he was away from his father. He felt like this because he had no power over the situation. Ricardo only got to see his dad a few times for an hour “through glass sometimes.”

A few weeks later, they thankfully let his dad out and he is now reunited with his family.

Esmeralda Juarez-Esquivas 

Esmeralda’s best Christmas experience was when her entire family went over to her house. “We were all in our pajamas, stuffing ourselves with tamales, and enjoying a warm jolly atmosphere,” she said.

She mentioned this was the best experience she had because many people nowadays are too busy with work or have other things to worry about “especially during the holidays.” Her entire family was there: her aunts, uncles, their kids, and even some of their pets. The cutest thing was that even their pets had cute Christmas outfits on.

They all had fun that night playing games and eating. “It was a really nice feeling,” she said. Esmeralda explained how the whole experience made her feel very warm and happy. She wished every Christmas was like that Christmas, but sadly there are always other things people have to deal with.

Destiny Martinez

Destiny’s best Christmas experience was when all of her family got together without any drama. She said they had a great time together. This was her best experience because in today’s world, everyone has a problem with each other for no real reason.

“Alcohol and drama are not a good mix,” she said.

She said it hurts her when she doesn’t spend time with her family, especially during the holidays. Her family is everything to her.

Kimberly Perez

Kimberly’s best Christmas experience was when her baby cousin was born. She was born just a few days before Christmas. She mentioned it was the best because they had a chance to take pictures.

Her family had to distract the baby just to try to get a good picture of her in her Christmas outfit. She mentioned it made her feel happy because they now have memories that will last forever, and she is a part of her family.

Guadalupe Lopez

Guadalupe’s best Christmas experience was last year.

“My family and I were gathered around the Christmas tree in Mexico, exchanging our secret Santa gifts,” she said.

This was Guadalupe’s best experience because it was the first time in such a long time that all of her family in Mexico were able to come together and have a great time together while receiving and giving gifts. All of her uncles, aunts, cousins, and siblings were there and they were gathered for secret Santa.

It was a really special day because her family is always busy and can rarely all get together at once. “I was really excited and I felt at peace,” she said.