Celebrations and Traditions

Sitting with my family at the dinner table to tell horrible jokes, recount old stories, and just reconnect — this has always been the very best gift.
Ann Moore
Durham, New Hampshire

During the holiday season, my family celebrates Kwanzaa, which encourages spirited giving from the heart and the hands. We make all our gifts from items in our home; there’s no purchasing of presents or things to make them with. This fosters an abundance of creativity and thoughtfulness and lets us avoid the holiday-shopping frenzy. Kwanzaa is a time to reflect and share with family, friends, and community.
Kweli Kitwana
North Bethesda, Maryland

We are not a religious family, so we celebrate the winter solstice instead of Christmas. We like the tree, the lights, and the family traditions that surround a winter holiday, such as lighting a big Yule log in the fireplace and putting feeders out for the birds and the squirrels on this shortest day of the year. There are no gifts exchanged, except sometimes small, handmade tokens. We hope we are teaching our son to value family time more than material things.
Michele Hintz
Seattle, Washington

When I was growing up, the Advent calendar my grandmother made appeared in my room every Christmas season without fail. Recalling how special that childhood tradition was for me and my siblings as we untied a piece of hard candy each night, I set out, three years ago, to make an Advent calendar with my son, then four. Now, during the busy holidays, I can glance at that simple calendar and be reminded of how traditions have influenced my family. More important, it’s a reminder that my son and I created this memory together.
Amy Kilian
Austin, Texas

We have an annual tradition of watching It’s a Wonderful Life as a family. This classic movie has excellent messages about important values, such as celebrating life, love, family, and character. It makes me cry every year.
Betsy Hemming
Beverly Hills, Michigan

During my childhood Christmases, my dad used to urge us to watch watch Scrooge, with Alastair Sim, on TV. He said it was the best, and we always tuned in. As I got older, I made a point of seeing it every year. My dad passed away almost four years ago, and now I plan to spend time alone on a day off during the holidays, watching Scrooge, dabbing my eyes, and hearing Dad tell me again, “It is the best.” And I’ll tell him he was right, again.
Susan C. Robinson
Churchville, Pennsylvania

Since the holidays are all about family and tradition, I try to pass on precious family heirlooms at this time of year. My children and grandchildren receive wrapped packages containing family china, jewelry, and other items our loved ones treasured long ago, and I am able to pass along a part of our history.
Barbara Goodear
Traverse City, Michigan

I look to the religious and spiritual beginnings of many of our holidays. As a Christian who was raised in a Jewish neighborhood, I have seen and experienced the beauty and depth of both traditions. As a Chinese American, I honor my ancestors for their Buddhist and Taoist beliefs, which have taught me about quieting my soul and focusing on what is beyond the material. I am grateful for the weaving of all these cultural and religious threads in my life. They let me concentrate on what is most meaningful during the holidays — family, friends, and God.
Elena Yee
Santa Barbara, California

My husband and I started observing our own Twelve Days of Christmas when we were dating. Starting on December 12, we watch a holiday movie every night until Christmas Eve. Whether it’s a short cartoon or a feature film, it forces us to stop the everyday and spend some time together enjoying the season. It is also special to have our own family tradition that we can pass down to our children.
Kristine Fischer
Feasterville, Pennsylvania

For me, finding the perfect inexpensive gift for someone special — something that requires thought rather than money, that says “I’ve been listening and paying attention to you this year” — is the best part of the season.
Nicole Blizek
Brighton, Massachusetts

My mother and father would always read the history of the holidays to me and my brother. Knowing the meaning behind so many of the traditions we hold dear gives me a greater enjoyment of the season. The history of Saint Nicholas is quite interesting, and the story of the first Thanksgiving is different from what many people think. I plan to pass these historical holiday gems on to my children.
Erin Claassen
Anderson, California