25 Authors and their Holiday Traditions
25 Authors and their Holiday Traditions
My parents do a wonderful job creating a sense of Christmas magic in our home. I say “do” instead of “did” because even as an adult they continue this tradition on Christmas morning (or whenever it is that we are able to get together and celebrate.) When I was a kid, I was memorized by it all. Our stockings, which hung empty above the fireplace all month long, were suddenly stuffed to the brim (and often overflowing onto the mantle or floor) on Christmas morning. Presents from my parents would appear under the tree throughout the month, but Santa’s presents (which were in a different wrapping paper and were never anything I asked for, my parents knew me MUCH better than Santa ever did…wink wink) came out of nowhere. When I woke up in my brand new Christmas PJs, music would be playing and candles were lit throughout the house. I loved the magic of Christmas morning and I think even when I was old enough to know better, I never went snooping around the basement because I wanted to continue feeling that sense of magic. Even now, when I eagerly wake up hours before everyone else, I wait quietly in my bed until I know all the magic has been carefully and lovingly put into place by my parents.
In that spirit, 25 authors share their own holiday traditions (whatever holiday that may be) below. Enjoy.
Melissa Payne
My favorite Christmas tradition started when my son was in elementary school. During a class time share of their favorite traditions, Sawyer announced that he loved our custom of hiding a pickle in the tree and the first one to find it Christmas morning got to eat the pickle. He told me what he shared in class when he came home. I was confused. This was not a tradition in our family. Ever. But Sawyer was convinced that we had done this before and couldn't wait to do it again. I thought, what the heck? So that Christmas I bought a gas station Big Papa pickle and on Christmas Eve I hid it in the tree. Sawyer found it first, since his sisters had no idea what to think about this new-to-them tradition, and he happily ate the pickle.
Later, I learned that this was actually a German tradition and that it wasn't supposed to be a real pickle but an ornament of one, and the person who found it received an extra present from Santa, not a pickle snack. We never figured out where Sawyer learned this, but it's become a beloved Christmas tradition for our family; a tree and a Big Papa pickle.
Kristin Contino
I collect Christmas ornaments from my travels in the UK, so I bought a retro blue tinsel tree to keep in my office just for those special decorations. It's full of all of my royal ornaments from various palaces and events, like Harry and Meghan's wedding and The Queen's 90th birthday. It's fun to look back on those memories, and I think Debbie, my main character from A House Full of Windsor, would be very jealous!
Liza Nash Taylor
My Favorite Christmas Tradition- Liza Nash Taylor
For the past ten years, since we renovated our old farmhouse, I’ve been able to indulge my dream of having a big Christmas tree. And I mean big.
Like, twelve feet big.
There’s only one place in Charlottesville to buy such a monster, and every year, when my daughter comes home for Thanksgiving we pack our measuring tape and set out. We never agree, but we end up choosing our tree for the year.
Later, just before December first, I’ll take the pickup truck and bring the tree home. It requires two (swearing) grown men with power tools, plus me, to get it from the truck into the stand and into the house. And don’t even talk to me about setting up a tree before December first!
Let me tell you one thing. NOTHING empties a house faster than a twelve-foot Christmas tree that needs lights. Sure, everyone will show up to put ornaments up at eye-level, but no one volunteers to go up on that ten-foot ladder, over and over, or to crawl on their belly like a reptile to do the tree skirt and water that sucker. My husband puts up one token ornament, and that’s the faded green glass ball with his name spelled out in tarnished silver glitter.
I’m not really complaining, mind you. I have a system, and certain elements go in certain places—always—angels at the very top with baby Jesus and the treetop angel, larger (white only) lights at the bottom. I have collections of ornaments my mother hand-painted, German glass balls, snow-globe ornaments, felt and knitted ones I’ve made, and many that recall our travels. Hundreds of ornaments.
The tree takes two full days. Sometimes, my adult children lie on the couch with the dogs to watch me work while carols play. They might be napping or nursing a post-holiday-party hangover. I won’t name any names. Then, they’ll talk about how pretty it is.
I know it brings me joy.
Can you guess how many volunteers show up to take it all down?
Nancy Stella
My most favorite tradition grew from my desire to have the perfect Christmas. That was the year my dog peed on the Christmas year and my cat would make a nest within the branches.
The dinner's main course, the turkey, had a covering of melted plastic because I put a plastic thermometer in it and forgot to take it out. To top it off, I ran out of milk so tried making hot chocolate with buttermilk for dessert.
But this became our "perfect" Christmas tradition. Our family had fun, we laughed at the "mistakes" and from that Christmas forward we see who can out do with the lamest gift, the worse dessert, and the funniest tale of the year gone by!
Olivia Swindler
I am not normally a movie watcher, but every year my aunt and I devour Hallmark movies!
Paulette Stout
As someone who’s Jewish, Christmas has always been a part of my life. My dad wasn’t fooling anyone calling our Christmas tree a “Hannukah bush”! Fast forward to adulthood, I’ve melded my husband’s European Christmas traditions into our own. We do our big meal on Christmas Eve, then ring a bell on Christmas morning to signal the beginning of present opening. Stockings come in the afternoon, and by evening, we’re ready for a tasty homemade dinner of chicken enchiladas before settling in for fun holiday movie. Oh, and if it’s Hannukah too, we’ll light the candles!
Kristina Parro
For over 50 years, my mom and grandma have hosted Christmas breakfast for the extended family: a reunion, of sorts. My cousins, many of whom I hadn’t seen since the year before, drive or fly in from all over. My brother and I are still at the kids table, but we don’t mind. I love hearing about what’s going on in everyone’s lives, checking out their presents from Santa, and sharing silly stories. The adults sip on mimosas and feast on homemade pecan rolls, coffee cakes, and scrambled eggs with bacon. The kids sneak Christmas cookies from the dessert plates placed around the house. The house never feels more full of holiday cheer than on Christmas.
Juliette Fay
We never put the presents out before Christmas Eve. Early on it was to keep four little sets of hands from mauling the packages as they tried to guess what was inside. Instead, my husband would read the poem "The Night Before Christmas" to our tribe before tucking them snug in their beds, where visions of … well, I don’t think they even knew what sugar plums were. Honestly, what are they, anyway? Let’s just say the kiddos were safely in dreamland before the presents went under the tree, so Santa and Mrs. Claus could work their magic without anyone sneaking up on us for a glass of water or one last hug.
We’d stay up till the wee hours setting out gifts, filling stockings, and assembling presents that were too big to be wrapped—a baseball pitchback, a bicycle, etc. We’d finally stumble into bed only to be roused at the crack of dawn by eager little voices. By noon we all needed a nap.
When our toddlers and elementary schoolers grew into teenagers and college students, none of them wanted to go to bed at nine o’clock, much less rise at dawn. (Also, thankfully, the presents stopped requiring assembly!)
They did, however, still want their dad to read "The Night Before Christmas." No kidding. The youngest is 19, the oldest 27, and they still gather around him on the couch to listen every year.
Then my husband and I go to bed, and they stay up, hanging out, talking, and poking fun at one another. I love the sound of my kids laughing as I fall asleep on Christmas Eve.
In the morning my husband and I set out the presents. Then we put on "The Family Stone," a funny, heartwarming, but also slightly heartbreaking movie about a family convening for Christmas. It’s one of my all-time favorites, and we watch it every year as we wait for the kids to wake.
So, our traditions have morphed a little over the years … except for "The Night Before Christmas" and the naps—I suspect we’ll always need those.
Kathy Strobos
I love to decorate our house with Christmas decorations (particularly lots of Danish elves (and their laundry) that we found when we visited Denmark one year during the holidays) and to make Christmas cookies.
Kristine Klussman, PhD
My favorite holiday tradition is our family's nonprofit giving. Each of us – kids included – individually chooses a nonprofit to give to and makes a donation. Then, as we are opening gifts, each of us stands up and tells the family which organization we chose and why we chose to support them. We learn new things about each other and get introduced to new causes, which makes the giving even more meaningful.
Dianne Ebertt Beeaff
I am from Canada where Thanksgiving is considerably distant from Christmas. But here in the U.S., where I now live, Thanksgiving is too close to Christmas to do the whole turkey thing twice in a row. So since 1984, I have had a Christmas dinner from some other country, region, or sometimes city, depending on our travels or current events. We have had dinners from all over the world from Iceland to Peru to Palestine. This year, due to Covid, the basic inability to travel, and the upside-down nature of living these days, Mongolia is on the menu!
Rudy Ruiz
When I was a child, growing up on the US-Mexico border, there were three cultural traditions that I remember fondly. The tradition of "posadas," which is like the Mexican version of going house to house caroling, was a lot of fun. During posadas, families or groups reenact the Biblical story of Mary and Joseph searching for shelter. Instead of shelter though, people visit friends and family and share Christmas foods and music. Another tradition that is very revered among many Mexican and Mexican-American families is the making of tamales. I used to visit a friend's house and help out as his grandmother, mom and aunts worked long hours kneading masa for Christmas tamales and invariably telling stories and having a great time. Finally, another one of my favorite traditions was my mom setting up the Nativity scene, which traditionally in Mexico was more popular than putting up a Christmas tree. Nowadays, my favorite tradition is probably the same as most people's, just being together with my wife and children and sharing some moments of peace and tranquility in which we can be grateful for our blessings.
Barbara Josselsohn
When December rolls around, life gets very busy! My husband and I have three adult children -- all still single -- and we all live in the New York City area. New York becomes our playground in December! We usually start the month off with a festive brunch at our favorite restaurant in Westchester County -- Crabtree's Kittle House, which has the most amazing muffins, French toast, and quiche, carving board, and creme brûlée for dessert. We meet in the city in the middle of the month, usually in the evening, to see the spectacular tree at Rockefeller Center and the light show projection across Fifth Avenue on the facade of the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store. As Christmas approaches, we all meet one evening at the New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx, for the mesmerizing outdoor light show and expansive display of toy trains that circulate around miniature New York landmarks crafted of twigs, moss, and other natural materials. Our kids like to go their own way for New Year's Eve, but we often reconvene on New Year's Day for dinner on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, with its amazing Italian eateries, one more fabulous than the next. We've been having these adventures for years now, and each year means new experiences, new conversations, and new memories. The holidays are all about family, and I'm so lucky to share them with my family each year!
Stephany Tullis
I will list these for now and provide more detail should you decide to go forward with an interview:
Annual family visit to 'A Christmas Carol' stage production
Baking of family member special dessert treats
Christmas Eve gathering --games, movies, holiday attire--favorite snacks; Christmas Carols--Kareoke
Christmas Day Brunch and opening of gifts
Judy Prescott Marshall
Decorating the house, preparing the food, anticipating my guests arrival and sitting down together at one table.
Gail Priest
My favorite holiday tradition is decorating my Christmas tree. I know most people enjoy their trees, but I put over 500 ornaments on the tree. Most of these ornaments are antiques. My husband and I began collecting ornaments over forty years ago. We love going into antique stores and flea markets and yard sales looking for old ornaments. Luckily, we also inherited many beautiful family ornaments from parents and grandparents. I need the lights on the tree. I think I have Seasonal Affective Disorder, and the tree lights offer light therapy. Another tradition to do with the tree is hiding the pickle ornament deep in the tree. Whoever finds it wins a prize. This was especially fun when our nieces were little. Now they all have pickle ornaments from us to put on their trees for their children to find.
Rachel Abugov
It isn't Chanukah without homemade latkes! My mother's technique is the best, obviously!. I use a box grater and Russet/Idaho potatoes, then I squeeze the excess liquid out of the potatoes. I add grated onion, salt, pepper and a few eggs till I get the right consistency:. The potato should dominate. ( I may have that last phrase as a tattoo. It's the story of my life. #mmmmcarbs)
Heat about half an inch of oil in a large skillet before frying the latkes till they are golden brown and cooked through. Each batch benefits from spending time in a 275-degree oven while you continue frying them. Pro tip: Make twice as many as you think you'll need. They are addictive. The traditional toppings are applesauce and sour cream. I go rogue and use plain Greek yogurt.
Luisa Livorno Ramondo
Ever since I can remember, I have been going to Center City Philadelphia, PA at Christmas time which is about a half an hour from where I’ve lived my whole life. There has always been a department store there that has this beautiful display of holiday lights. When I was young it was John Wanamaker, then I believe it became a Strawbridge’s and now it’s a Macy’s. It had a fountain at the finale, which unfortunately is no longer operational, and Julie Andrews as the narrator. It takes place in the main lobby in front of this big bald eagle statue and when I was growing up we always would say “meet me at the eagle”. To this day I still go every Christmas and I bring my children. We take family pictures in front of the eagle and video the light show with the beautiful voice of Julie Andrews narrating it. It has always been the most amazing thing to see and one of my most cherished Christmas traditions.
Linda LaRocque
If asked this question a few years ago, my answer would've been pretty standard. You know, something like putting up the tree, decorating my old house, spending hours in the kitchen preparing special family favorites for our feast, conversations with adults and children alike around the dining room table, and walking to mass on Christmas Eve.
But life took a turn one year, when my family decided to spend Christmas out of state, and for the first time ever, I was going to be alone. However, because of that, a new and unexpected Christmas tradition was about to establish itself for me. And surprisingly, it would not only change my life, but the lives of a few others too.
To say I wasn't disappointed with this family news would be a lie, so to cover that up, I went to work over a several week period and asked 6 friends, who were also going to be alone, to join me for Christmas dinner. While strangers to each other, nonetheless they were thrilled to be invited.
Christmas Day finally rolled around and they all arrived at my home on time. At first it was uncomfortable, because most didn't know each other and I must admit I had some serious misgivings regarding this whole idea of mine. However, during the time we gathered around my ancient dining room table, and shared dinner, and talked for hours, everything changed and it became Christmas at its finest. It was absolutely magical. My guests laughed, and yes, they even cried as one by one all openly shared their individual stories. Perhaps for the first time ever they felt accepted and loved. But it was Kelly who summed it up best for everyone when, in the middle of a slice of pumpkin pie, he proudly announced, "I've got a family now."
It's been a while since that special Christmas dinner, and I still enjoy those old traditions. But the one that will always remain at the top of my "Favorite Christmas Traditions" list is inviting a couple new folks for Christmas dinner, who otherwise would be alone. In fact, I'd highly recommend adding this to anyone's list of "Favorite Christmas Traditions". But a word of caution: be careful, because this could change your life and maybe some others, too.
Clark Burbidge
As we approach Christmas with a Blended Family it is always tricky to arrange schedules. A couple of weeks before Christmas, we have at our home what we call the Gingerbread House Decorating Extraaaaaaaaaavaganza. Each family gets their own gingerbread house to decorate, and we often have some tremendously creative results. The grandkids love it, but it is also surprisingly looked forward to by our older children as well. Spending time together is the key. We will often have a fun dessert to top off the evening. One treat I like to make is what we call "Chocolate Cookie Dessert" which consists of chocolate wafers with whipped cream in between and surrounding it, so it looks like a yule log. Let it sit overnight and it is like cake.
Thomas "Buddy" Bardenwerper
Bing Crosby’s crooning always kicked off the Christmas season in the Bardenwerper household.With “Mele Kalikimaka” sounding from our 1990s-sized stereo system, up went the cloth Advent calendar with the 25 diminutive Nativity characters, each snug in his or her numbered pouch. Every morning, one of my four older siblings or I would stick that day’s Velcro-backed shepherd or camel onto the scene. By the time we had made it to the Wise Men, old Chris Kringle was harnessing the reindeer.
On Christmas morning, my siblings and I were under strict instruction to only go downstairs as a complete unit. This meant that my sister Annie and I, the two youngest, had to kill time upstairs playing Uno until the teenagers deigned to wake up and we could line up by age to make our descent.
Down in the living room, there would be sooty footprints emanating from the fireplace and a
letter from Saint Nick on the mantel. In his letter, Saint Nick would leave my siblings and me
individualized messages before telling us in conclusion to continue being kind to each other,
our parents, and our grandparents. I would compare Saint Nick’s signature from year to year,
and the fact that it remained unchanged kept my belief in him alive.
As I grew older, I realized that Christmas wasn’t about presents but rather family. Whether it
was learning from my grandfather how to play craps on a miniature casino table, or beaming
with pride as my brother wore his Army dress uniform to Midnight Mass, I savored these
moments and dreaded the New Year and the return to normalcy.
Having married several years ago, I have been welcomed into a new family’s Yuletide tradition, one that features Polish Borscht on Christmas Eve and scratch-off lottery tickets in the stockings on Christmas morning. And with a one-year-old daughter of my own, I look forward to seeing what traditions my own little family comes up with, even if these traditions involve the abhorrent white Christmas tree lights favored by my wife and not the classic and timeless colored ones!
Courtney Cole
Years back, when my husband and I were just first married, we didn't have a lot of money. We didn't have ANY money for Christmas gifts that first year. So, without planning it, we each separately wrote the other a letter... talking about why we love, appreciate and value in each other. Imagine our surprise on Christmas morning when we BOTH offered the other a letter as our gift. It became a tradition that we continued even after our paychecks got bigger, and in fact, we still continue it to this day. I've branched out and include my kids, my daughter-in-law and my best friends now, as well. Other gifts are involved now too, of course, but the letter still finds itself in every Christmas stocking on Christmas morning... year after year. The details of the letter change from year to year, but the sentiments are always the same. It's my favorite tradition
Kristine Ochu
Making, Baking and Decorating Christmas sugar cookies! It’s always a fun, messy and endearing adventure. Our tradition, started when my daughters were five and two. I was divorced and determined to have a magical Christmas! We had Christmas music playing, sang Jingle Bells and sipped hot chocolate in our special reindeer mugs.
Flour was everywhere! It seemed to float off the table where we rolled out the dough and onto our shirts, hair, and the kitchen floor. I had cookie cutters of Christmas trees, reindeers, bells, Santa figures and stars. I remember their little, uncoordinated hands as they spread frosting over the cookies and then gleefully decorated the tops with the candy. Then that first bite—it didn’t matter how the cookie looked, the sugar from the frosting, and all the toppings made it the most scrumptious, heavenly treat!
I remember all the giggles, the tummy aches from eating too many, and as my daughters grew up, the flour fights, their friends joining in, and the cookies becoming more glamorous. And now my daughters are both young mothers and I have the joy of starting from the beginning again!
Priscilla Oliveras
When my girls were ages 5, 4, and 1, we baked & made our first gingerbread house from scratch following a VHS tape with instructions. Twenty-six years later, there hasn’t been a single Oliveras Christmas without a gingerbread house, monument (the Roman Coliseum, a pavilion in Parc Güel & the Eiffel Tower), a town square (with the mayor’s mansion, a beauty parlor, & a 2-story dance studio), a multiple-home neighborhood (including an ice rink pond), Wrigley Field with a rooftop bar across the street, or another building equally as tasty!
Robyn Lucas
Having an epic pajama day with my children that consists of marathoning Die Hard, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings while drinking hot chocolate and eating junk food.
