Zyana Cardell, a fourth grade student at West Penn Elementary School, was crowned 2024 Little Miss Spirit of Christmas.

Seven girls in third to fifth grades from regional schools participated in the contest to win the title. Each girl submitted a short essay explaining “What the Spirit of Christmas Means to Me.”

Their essays and photographs were displayed during a recent 2-week balloting period at Hope & Coffee in Tamaqua and online.

Cardell’s essay, “What the Spirit of Christmas Means to Me,” received the most votes.

In it, she wrote, “The Spirit of Christmas is about giving to others in need just like Jesus gave to others. It’s about celebrating his birth with family.”

Cardell will participate in Spirit of Christmas Festival activities between Dec. 5-8.

All participants will welcome Santa to Depot Square Park beginning at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 for a “Meet and Greet” and tree lighting ceremony.

Other participants and their essays are as follows:

Sadie Coombe, Tamaqua Elementary School — “What the spirit of Christmas means to me is spending time with family and friends. Celebrating Jesus’s birthday and spreading love all around.”

Julia DiLisia, St. Jerome Regional School — “Christmas means to me spending time with my family. This makes me feel happy. Happiness is the Spirit of Christmas.”

Sofia Firkal, St. Jerome Regional School — “Celebrate the birth of Jesus on a Holy night. Rejoice In spending time with family. Sleigh ride in the snow. Then drink hot cocoa. Make lots of memories. And don’t forget to Spread CHRISTMAS Cheer!”

Mollie Lehman, West Penn Elementary School — “The Spirit of Christmas means to me not to be selfish and give to those in need while in hard times. But it’s also a time of celebration because Christmas Day was the day Jesus was born and Jesus died on April 13, AD33. He died to save us from our sins and so we should be grateful for his sacrifice.”

Teresa Mehlig, St. Jerome Regional School — “The Spirit of Christmas to me means Jesus’s birth. It also means family time in gentle, calm and special. It’s the most magical season.”

Harley Sterling, Tamaqua Elementary — “The spirit of Christmas means giving. So last year me and my mom went to a nursing home and we gave them some things.”

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