In anticipation for the holidays, the Spanish club celebrated Christmas and New Year’s traditions for this month’s meeting Dec. 20. They drank Coquito, a traditional Puerto-Rican coconut drink, ate Panettone fruit cake and sang songs about the tradition of Caga Tió. 

The club’s president, senior Keira Trill, said the activities during the meeting were related to the holiday season.

“Today’s activities were a celebration of Latin American cultures on Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” Trill said. “We started off by talking about the background of the holiday, and then enjoyed the foods that are part of the traditions. We ate 12 grapes at the end to represent the countdown of the New Year.”

Senior Luca Alvarez said he enjoyed the atmosphere and energy the club brought.

“I like the activities and the culture. Not even just the Spanish culture, but the culture of the class,” Alvarez said. “It’s a lot of fun learning about the traditions that Profe (Anderson) knows about, and she’ll bring in different foods which is great.”

Club advisor Hanna Anderson said she was pleased with how the club offers unique opportunities for students. 

“I love to be able to provide students with these kinds of experiences that are memorable, that they enjoy and where they can use the language in a meaningful way,” Anderson said.

Trill said she loves the planning that goes into each meeting and was delighted with this month’s turnout. 

“I really like taking leadership and planning the meetings,” Trill said. “It’s really nice to see the student engagement, which was great today. There was a good mix of students. Lots of seniors, juniors and sophomores came.”

Alvarez said he enjoyed being exposed to new cultures and traditions.

“I like the new experiences I get by learning about other cultures,” Alvarez said. “The new things that I learn about how people celebrate around the world are pretty cool.”

Trill said the club is very accessible and she encourages people to join.

“You don’t even have to know an ounce of Spanish,” Trill said. “Everyone is very welcoming and you should come even if it’s just for the good times.”

The next Spanish club meeting will be after school on Jan. 19 in room B228.