Among our various respective holidays for the end of the year holiday season is Christmas with ornaments and light decorations.
A big favorite of the decorations is the Christmas tree topper. Yet, which specific top piece to use has been the subject of some debate.
Leo Hernandez, a first-year Delta College student, says his preference for a Christmas star comes from his upbringing.
“I put a star because my whole life that’s what I’ve always seen, and it really has a lot of definitions for what it means to people,” Hernandez said.
The different symbols, Hernandez said, often depend on the emphasis religion will have in the celebration.
For some students who take a stronger religious perspective, both the star and the angel ultimately represent a symbol of a religiously layered background.
Often, the star can represent a guiding star for travel and the angel as a saint who protects humanity.
Andrea Avendano, a second-year Delta student, expressed her family’s tradition of more religious decorations.
“My family puts Baby Jesus, and there’s probably an angel too. But I don’t think we’ve ever put a star. Although, I feel like the star is probably more traditional,” Avendano said.
Avendano said that although she is not opposed to a Christmas star, she is also indifferent to the ornament.
For some students who seem not to place such a religious emphasis on the celebration, there is a mutual respect for any decorative piece.
Eduardo Matías-Martínez, a second-year Delta student, explained his preference for the tree-topper.
“I admire all the different tree toppers. In prior years, we have used an angel, but now it’s usually a star; what I noticed is the most commonly used,” Matías-Martínez said.
The general consensus seems to agree that despite religious beginnings, the star has become the most neutral and traditional decoration, where alternatives indicate stronger religious backgrounds.
“I’d be willing to place any decoration on top of my tree. To me, there’s no significance whatsoever, but I know angels are seen as more religious-like,” Matías-Martínez said.
Another point made by Avendano was regarding how families’ traditions come through in Christmas decorating.
She noted that family decorations can often begin with the ornaments they first attain, regardless of spiritual meanings, and continue afterward.
“I don’t know how many families get new ornaments every year. But a lot of the families I know use the same ones from when they were little,” Avendano said.
Overall, it seems many are not opposed to seeing different decorations. Although many have their preferences, and most are not likely to change their customs.
However, there is a sentiment that creative choices when decorating a tree is not very important.
“It doesn’t really matter what’s on top, as long as there is something, because what stands out most is family and how people come together,” Hernandez said.