This week former teacher Frank Balistreri and Arrowhead High School senior, Cristina Betancourt both tell of their favorite Christmas traditions. Betancourt shares her favorite traditions which include visiting her grandparents and baking cookies. Balistreri’s favorite tradition includes the annual construction of the “Christmas Village of Death,” and he explains the reasoning for this name.

If you walk into room 203, you will see a Christmas Village made of Lincoln Logs. Balistreri says he started building the village with his English class about 20 years ago when his son no longer wanted to play with them.

“We called it the ‘Holiday Village of Death’ because back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s you could never have anything religious or holiday orientated in school. So for fun we called it the holiday village of death,” says Balistreri.

Balistreri says the Village used to be huge–twice the size it is now–and totally elaborate. The “Christmas Village of Death” included movie character figures such as Gandalf, Darth Maul, Avatars, and Transformers. The village even had a biblical manger scene in which Gandalf was Joseph, Princes Leia was Mary, and  Frodo was baby Jesus.

“Kids would come in during their study halls and go crazy on it,” said Balistreri.

Balistreri encourages students to come in during lunch and study hall to continue the tradition.

Balistreri later added he also enjoys playing Christmas carols in the library.

“Every year I would go in the library for one period and play christmas carols the day before break,” said Balistrari.

Senior Cristina Betancourt says she enjoys going to her grandparents house in Beaver Dam where they watch Christmas movies, bake cookies, and open presents.

“Grandma makes a really good christmas dinner and we all have fun as we spend time together,” said Betancourt.

Betancourt says when she gets home from her grandparents the rest of the week is filled with Christmas movies, baking Christmas cookies, and bright lights. Her house and landscape is fully decorated with light strands and spruce branches.

“We string lights around our trees, bushes, and along our house. We have decorations inside as well as out and a large wreath hanging above our mantle,” says Betancourt.