Through all the ups and downs of growing up, the highs and lows, and the person I’ve become today, one thing has always remained the same: I love Christmas. Christmas is my favorite time of year, but my reasons for valuing the holiday have changed since I was a kid.
Some of these things I don’t tend to think about around Christmas, but there are some traditions I still appreciate despite being from a different perspective.
I have a bigger family: my mom, dad, three older sisters, a younger brother, and four dogs. Growing up, my siblings and I annoyed each other constantly. It’s rather cliché, but we truly would argue over things as little as the color of the sky. That’s just what siblings do with one another.
When Christmas rolled around each year before my siblings and I grew up, seeing each other and spending time together didn’t seem to have as much value. I saw my siblings every day, and we argued constantly, so seeing them at Christmas was just another regular day. The only different thing about Christmas was the gifts, the Macy’s Christmas Parade, and eating a Christmas meal together.
My favorite traditions were making sugar cookies, decorating a gingerbread house all together, and sometimes being able to open one present on Christmas Eve.
Whenever we’d bake cookies, my family had these fun cutters that we’d use different shapes in the dough. There are traditional Christmas shapes like a snowman, a tree, a snowflake, and a Santa Claus head, but then there are e more fun shapes, like an alligator, a heart, a cow, and even a dinosaur.
While making these cookies, my siblings and I would all be on a sugar load because after the cookies were done, we’d decorate them with sprinkles and icing. The same would happen when decorating a gingerbread house together; we tended to each pick a side of the house and decorate it to each of our whims.
It always looked a little haphazard at the end, but the whole fun of the gingerbread house is decorating it. We also get a pre-made kit from somewhere like Target or Costco to make it easier to decorate.
Both of these traditions are things my siblings and I still do together; however, I look forward to these traditions differently. As the youngest of three sisters and with a younger brother, when everyone started to grow up and go to college, I started to see my sisters less. When Christmas rolled around, it meant I got to see everyone again.
After moving to Florida and enrolling at FSU, Christmas is even more special, and having all of my family in one place is more valuable. My brother is at home, so I see him more often, but all of my sisters live in the northern part of the United States, in Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. Christmas is usually the only time we all see each other together.
There are also all the other things about Christmas that I love: the music, the movies, Christmas Eve traditions, and, of course, gift-giving.
I believe in Christmas starting in November, so as soon as Nov. 1 rolls around, I pull out my Christmas music playlist. I think of November as the Thursday of the calendar year: on Thursday, everyone is just anticipating Friday, and in November, we’re all anticipating the approach of the holiday season.
I always rewatch classic Christmas films like The Santa Claus, Elf, and Home Alone because these are the movies that represent Christmas to me. These films were a staple part of growing up, and getting into a festive mood reminds me that the best part of the year is approaching.
Christmas Eve and Christmas are just two days, but Christmas lasts an entire festive season. Those two are just the biggest highlights.
On Christmas Eve, my family does an appetizer dinner, which is exactly what the name suggests. All the food is appetizers: mozzarella sticks, onion rings, potato skins, little smokies, sliders, etc. There’s also always the saran-wrap ball, which is instead of opening a present on Christmas Eve. It’s also another alternative for an activity like a white elephant.
The saran wrap ball is just different small gifts, candy, and gift cards wrapped with saran wrap multiple times, layering each item in between. Everyone wears a pair of oven mitts and takes turns trying to unwrap the ball. The person next in line rolls a pair of dice and has to roll doubles, and when they do, it’s their turn to try to unwrap it. This is another one of those Christmas traditions I look forward to, and the competition between my family is fierce.
Then there’s Christmas Day. Although I don’t wake up quite as early anymore, it’s more of a 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. wake-up time than 6 a.m. Presents are one of the most integral parts of Christmas. I’ll always love gift-giving, especially exchanging gifts with my siblings and giving a gift to my mom and dad.
December doesn’t just mean Christmas; it also means the end of the semester for school, fun holiday traditions, getting to see my family, and exchanging gifts with the people who mean the most to me. Christmas is a timeless holiday, and it means so much more to me over time and distance.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!