The holidays are my favorite time of year. Everything feels so nostalgic and magical. My favorite memories with my family are the ones where we repeat our traditions every year. To celebrate the holiday season, I’ve compiled all my family traditions in one place.
Thanksgiving:
Every Thanksgiving, my family cooks a large meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Every year, we celebrate with my aunt, uncle, and cousins, either with a large meal or just a pie night with games to play.
We watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles starring John Candy and Steve Martin every year, one of our favorite holiday movies. We usually play board games and drink apple cider.
Early December:
On December 1st, my family always watches Krampus. This is a relatively new tradition, but one that starts the Christmas season. I always make Christmas cookies and give them to my professors and my nurses. My favorite cookies are peanut butter blossoms. A peanut butter sugar cookie with a Hershey’s kiss in the middle.
My sister and I always go to the mall for Christmas shopping. We usually pick up a pretzel while we’re there and go into all our favorite stores to shop for each other and our parents.
Christmas Eve:
Christmas is my favorite holiday, and the whole month of December is something I look forward to every year. On Christmas Eve, my mom makes an elaborate breakfast for us, including French toast, quiche, and something for dessert.
We spend the day wrapping Christmas presents and watching movies. Before bed, my dad always reads The Night Before Christmas, to my sister and I. He has done that every year since we were young. For many years, my sister and I always had a sleepover so we could wake up on Christmas together. However, we don’t do that as much anymore since I like to sleep in longer than she does.
Christmas:
On Christmas morning, my family opens up our presents with our fireplace turned on and the movie, A Christmas Story, playing in the background. We always start with our stockings first, and then turn to the Christmas tree to open the rest.
Once finished with unwrapping, my dad takes my sister and I on a drive. We listen to Christmas music and usually pick up a Starbucks drink for the drive.
When I was 7, my family went to Tennessee on vacation in the summer. When we were there, we discovered Rice’s Country Hams, a ham market in Mount Juliet, TN. Ever since then, we order a large ham for Christmas. Along with our ham, we have butter rolls and mini cakes. After dinner, we usually play a board game and then watch a Christmas movie to end the night.
Every holiday season, I am reminded of how grateful I am for my family. Being able to spend so much time together during this memorable time of the year is truly when I’m happiest. Happy Holidays!