As winter break nears, Manhattan High students and staff have food on their minds. 

Some say they’re going to try new things or some unique foods, while others are looking forward to traditional foods and meals like turkey, ham and sugar cookies. 

“We usually make a meal for Christmas . . . like a ham or a turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls, [and] some dessert of some kind,” junior C.J. Hewins said. “My favorite meal or food that we have . . . is mashed potatoes so I always really enjoy when [they] get made.”

MHS staff member Julie Ostermann has a unique plan for Christmas, that is equally as fun as it is creative. 

“We eat a lot of rolled out sugar cookies . . . [and] for Christmas Eve we like to do appetizers . . . like cheese dip, then tortilla chips and barbecue little smokies and mini tacos,” Ostermann said. “One of our favorite things to do is just to have a bunch of little appetizers and then eat throughout the whole day.”

A custodian at MHS, Jamie Myers, plans on trying something new for Christmas dinner this year.

“We usually do … the original ham and turkey and stuffing,” Myers said, “but I think this year … I might make some Indian food. [I’ve] only tried Indian food a couple of times, so I’m hoping I enjoy it.”

Sophomore Connor Andresen will have a classic Christmas dinner with turkey, but with a little twist: sea food. He said that all of the dishes made are a “10 out of 10.”

The people who are making the meals for Christmas dinner have generally been a maternal figure, although, there have been instances of team work. 

“For the past couple of years it’s been a teamwork effort between me and my mom,” Andresen said.