by Regina (3-5’s parent)

Traditions are as old as…fruitcake? For families everywhere, the holidays they celebrate are a special time of the year, and what are holidays without a custom of some kind?! The beauty in traditions lies in the uniqueness and creativity of each family. Whether it’s exchanging  pajamas, kissing under the mistletoe, making latkes,  eating so much that you can barely breathe or staying up late to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve, it’s a special something for everyone. What I love even more than the holidays itself is to hear how others celebrate. With permission, I invited our 3-5 group to share how they eat, drink and be merry!

“We are starting a new tradition this year by going out at night with some hot (or warm) chocolate and driving to see all the local xmas lights!! We also enjoy watching home alone every year while decorating our tree.” (Ringstad family)

“We make latkes (potato pancakes) at least once, light the menorah every night, and the kids open a present each night. One of the presents is chocolate candy coins called gelt, which is always a favorite. We also play dreidel, a game with a spinning top.” (Samnick family)

“Our family always goes over to my husband’s second cousins house on Christmas Eve where we eat dinner and Santa comes to give presents to the kids. On Christmas Day just my husband and I with our girls open presents then we head to my family’s house to celebrate with them. We have poppers to open and each person wears the paper hat inside. We always do an advent calendar as well.” (Serif family)

“We look forward to spending the whole day together with family just eating, drinking, resting and opening presents.  We have a big brunch then snack when we’re hungry during the day and for dinner we eat crab. On New Year’s Day we start with a traditional Japanese soup called ozoni that is supposed to bring luck and good health for the New Year.  We again spend the day with family eating, drinking and relaxing.” (Lohmann family)

“We make sugar cookies with special frosting; go see the Nutcracker Ballet, exchange pajamas to wear on Christmas morning and drink Irish coffee—for the adults, not the kids, mind you!” (McGinnis family)

“Hudson celebrates Christmas every year in Arizona among the palm trees! We love to spend Christmas with his grandparents and they love it too! We also love to read the story of the Savior’s birth, and dress up creating a live nativity. Hudson loves to pretend to be baby Jesus and my daughter likes to be an angel.

From Hudson’s Chinese grandparents he always gets a red envelope, called a hung boa, with money in it. Chinese people love the color red, and regard red as the symbol of energy, happiness and good luck. Sending red packets is a channel for sending good wishes and luck most commonly at the time of the Chinese New Year, but Hudson’s grandparents do it at Christmas too.” (Seto family)