Steven Sanchez, Jr.

Welp, it is Christmas-time again. This year came quicker than last, and I only anticipate them coming sooner and sooner as I get older. It was this evening that I actually stopped to take time and reflect a bit on some of my family’s traditions.

On Christmas Eve, my family (mom, dad, brother, sister, grandma) spends the afternoon at Grandma’s house. We sit around and eat on snacks. Then we go to mass, come back to Grandmas, enjoy some more goodies, and then open the presents from Grandma. When opening presents, we take turns opening them one at a time starting with the youngest person and working up to the oldest.

Come Christmas morning, Grandma comes over to my parents’ house and we open our stockings over here and the rest of the Christmas gifts. After the gifts are opened, Grandma goes back home and she starts preparing the food. On Christmas day, my aunts and uncles come over and we have a huge lunch. The grown-ups all sit around and talk, and the kids run around and play. Anymore, I find myself in the grown-ups category because my cousins are all half my age. *shrug*

Here is a list of our traditions that make our Christmases ours:

• A Christmas Story: Dad loves that movie. We watch it at least once each year.
• Snowballs, Poppycock, Caramel Corn, Fudge, Chex Mix, Cinnamon Candy: all goodies that are made in abundance each year.
• An orange, socks, shampoo, toothpaste: Gifts from Santa in our stockings at Grandma’s house.
• Cookies and a note for Santa: We have done it every year. I’m 21, and this year still plan on leaving Santa some cookies. And yes, I do expect to wake up to a plate with cookie crumbs, and a note back.
• Stockings: we go to bed with the stockings empty, hanging on the wall. We wake up with them filled and sitting on the couch waiting for us.
• Lounging: Our holidays consist of a lot of lounging around and just being with each other. It’s really relaxing, and now I can appreciate that – especially after the hectic semester I’ve had.

But yeah, that is pretty much what Christmas looks like with my family. We’re low-key, and we eat heartily. I’m okay with that. I’ve known others to have hectic, hectic Christmases, and others to have equally relaxing ones like ours. What does your Christmas look like?