A fifth-grade student at Tamaqua Elementary School has been named Tamaqua’s Little Miss Spirit of Christmas for 2023.

As the title holder, Olivia Quick, 10, will participate in the activities slated for Tamaqua’s Spirit of Christmas Festival from Dec. 1 to 3.

She is the daughter of C.J. and Amy Quick.

Eight girls in third to fifth grades from regional schools vied for the honor. The girls were asked to submit a short essay explaining “What the Spirit of Christmas Means to Me.”

The essays and photos of the girls were displayed from Nov. 6 to 17 at Hope & Coffee in Tamaqua, as well as online.

Quick’s essay received the most votes.

She wrote, “(What) The spirit of Christmas means to me is the miraculous birth of Jesus, warmth and love of family and the happiness of belonging to a community.”

Other participants and their essays are as follows:

Ella Balliet, West Penn Elementary – “The Spirit of Christmas is in the hearts of everyone. It’s a time of relaxing with family, giving, enjoying food, singing, decorating, baking and magic.”

Alaura Bove, Tamaqua Elementary – “Christmas is giving, sharing, spending time with my whole family and friends. Doing things all together, eating, having fun, talking about the past and the future (love them all).”

Sadie Coombe, Tamaqua Elementary – “Spending time with family and friends, and having fun is what Christmas means to me. I love baking cookies with my mom.”

Elyse Farrell, Tamaqua Elementary – “When I think of Christmas, I think of spending time with family and nice presents. The jolly Santas and delicious hot chocolate.”

Mallory Koch, Tamaqua Elementary – “To me, the spirit of Christmas means much more than receiving presents. It’s a time to gather to celebrate Jesus with friends and family.”

Sophia Shirvinski, Tamaqua Elementary – “Christmas is a magical time to spend with family. It is a time to give to others, be thankful, and remember the birth of Jesus.”

Lily Sterling, Tamaqua Elementary – “The spirit of Christmas means giving to those in need. Every year, we donate items to be delivered to local hospitals for cancer patients.”

Each participant from the contest will participate in welcoming Santa to the lighting of Depot Square Park and a “Meet and Greet” with the Jolly Ole Elf beginning at 6 p.m. on Dec. 1.

For more information on the annual festival, visit Tamaqua Spirit of Christmas Facebook page or call the Tamaqua Community Arts Center at 570-668-1192.