As if it wasn’t obvious, I am OBSESSED with all things December. Not only is my birthday December 26th (feel free to send me Tiff’s Treats and other goodies!) but there’s something in the air so that between December 1-31, everything is just that much better. Facebook account hacked? Doesn’t matter, because “How the Grinch Who Stole Christmas” is on ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas tonight. Failed a quiz? Doesn’t matter, simply because you got to write “December” when you wrote the date! Spilled hot chocolate on your new suede boots? Doesn’t matter…well okay, this one might matter. BUT, it was in one of Starbucks’ fancy winter cups. Even with so many great things about the holidays, I think traditions are my favorite part! Eating more cookie dough than you bake, decorating the house, and taking the obligatory just-woke-up-on-Christmas-morning picture that will hopefully never see it’s way onto facebook. They are ALL good. And if you think your family is the only one with crazy traditions, think again! We had some Texas collegiettes™ share their fun, heartwarming, and down right impressive traditions!
“Squishing into a small house with the rest of my family is all part of the experience.”
– Alex Mora, International Relations and Global Studies, Junior
“I am fortunate enough that during christmas break my family is able to travel outside of the country. Last year my parents, two brothers, and I traveled to Madrid, Spain right after finals and came back the day after Christmas. We will be spending this winter break in Rome, Italy. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in a foreign environment, but I’m grateful for and take full advantage of these opportunities to experience a completely new culture. We don’t exchange gifts or anything, my parents are firm believers that experiences are far more fulfilling than material possessions, and I agree.
– Anjelica Barrientos, Exercise Science, Sophomore
“We get Christmas PJs from our parents the night before and we wear them to bed!”
– Cara Saenz, Nutrition, Senior
“Since I moved to Texas, we normally stay in Texas for Christmas and go up to New York City for New Years to visit family…Normally a day or two before New Year’s Eve, we go to Canal St. in Chinatown where we buy cheap stuff and barter with the people there. It’s really an acquired skill and we have sort of “initiation” in the Matthews family where you have to go into a shop by yourself and barter until you get a good deal because normally, the shopkeepers are pretty greedy.”
– Cheyenne Matthews-Hoffman, Journalism, Sophomore
“I go to Mexico to visit my family and our tradition is to have every family member hit the piñata from oldest to youngest.”
– Crystal De la Rosa, Pre-Pharmacy, Sophomore
“My younger sister is a ballerina, so one of our most important family traditions is going to see her dance in The Nutcracker. It’s been amazing seeing her progress from an angel as a little girl to a member of the corps. Other traditions of ours are eating tamales on Christmas Eve and lighting an advent wreath just like our church does. My Dad is a pastor so going to the different advent services has always been a special Christmas activity that brings together the family.”
– Erica Dietzel, Religious Studies and Government, Sophomore
“Since my family loves to travel a lot we like to pick up some kind of momento or ornament-like souvenir from wherever we travel. Like this past summer I picked up this cute little ball in costa rica and i made it into an ornament! My family is really multicultural so it’s really cool to see all of our cultures mixed together on a tree. The majority of my extended family is bi-racial so we have different cultures from Chinese to Dominican, Italian, Arabic, Jewish, Puerto Rican, African American, and Mexican.”
– Geneva Castellenos, International Relations, Global Studies and Government, Senior
“I’m Jewish but Christmas music is my family’s favorite so we always listen to that in the car. There’s 8 nights of Hanukkah and we light the candles each night…We always share one of the nights at my uncles house, because his wife is Christian and they have the most beautiful christmas tree. So we try and mix in both of them, Hanukkah with a Christmas tree! Then again, we’ve had many christmas days where we go to the movies and order chinese food for dinner. We also used to drive through this one neighborhood in Chicago that’s known for their amazing lights. Then we would go home and watch “It’s A Wonderful Life”.”
– Jordan Chaplik, History, Sophomore
“My family and I used to drive around looking at christmas lights in our old convertible with the top down. We brought LOTS of blankets and hot chocolate to keep warm!”
– Karis Warren, Education, Junior
“We decorate our Christmas tree with Disney ornaments. We try to place them according to their movie, for example Aladdin by Jasmine and Genie. Some Disney ornaments are angels, so instead we stick them at the top of the tree closest to our lit up angel topper.”
– Larissa Liska, Broadcast Journalism, Freshman
“Well my mom is Jewish and my dad isn’t. So usually we celebrate Christmas and Chanukah…Chrismukkah? Lots of family dinners. We light the menorah every night and we also decorate a Christmas tree too. We make our outside lights blue and white (colors of Chanukah…but putting them up is more of a christmas thing). So basically tons of food, tons of family and tradition-meshing.”
– Leah Thomas, Sociology and Psychology, Sophomore
“We would join in a procession on Christmas eve recreating Mary and JOseph’s looking for room in an inn. At each stop, the host of that home would give everyone a cup of hot chocolate or a bunuelo as we went along the way until we gathered at the church to sing Christmas carols.”
– Lily Hayes, BFA Dance, Sophomore
“My dad has a famous homemade hot chocolate that he only makes during the holidays, my sister and I always build a gingerbread house together, and we open one christmas gift on Christmas Eve and all the rest Christmas morning! “
– Marissa Forsyth, Theatre and Dance, Sophomore
“All the kids sleep in one room and wake up christmas morning, open presents, and sing happy birthday to Jesus. We even top off a special coffee cake my mom makes with a little candle.”
– Meghan Robertson, Theater and Dance, Senior
“One of my holiday traditions is making tamales and menudo with my mom, sister and grandma. then we use the left over corn husks to make angle ornaments. I absolutely love my family’s Mexican transitions.”
– Melanie Lozoya, Physics, Freshman
“I’m from Baltimore, and though it usually starts snowing in January, we all used to hope for a white Christmas. So come December, any time there was even a remote chance of snow, we would wear our pajamas inside out to make it come. I have no idea where the superstition came from but we all did it. The more daring would do the one other thing that was supposed to bring snow; running around the house 3 times…naked!”
– Raquel Watson, Theater and Dance, Freshman
“On the first night of Chanukah, my parents always make a donation to a charity of my or my brothers choosing for each of us as our gift. Also, a tradition for each night is lighting 5 or 6 menorahs for each person in our immediate family even if we aren’t all there and opening the window so everyone in the neighborhood can see.”
– Rebecca Goldstein, English and Theater and Dance, Junior
“My friends and I always bake lots of cookies and substitute ingredients to see if they taste better with our own recipes. Like instead of using sugar, we use salt, etc. Generally they always come out tasting like crap but it’s a nice surprise when we find a random ingredient that tastes good!”
– Shereen Ahmad, Theater and Dance and Government, Junior
“My mom’s side of the family traditions include–Greek food for Christmas, I’m talking lamb, dolmas, spanakopita, and moussaka.”
– Whittaker Odom, Public Relations, Junior