Christmas is known as the most wonderful time of the year and is a shortened form of  “Christ’s Mass,” the day that Jesus was born and came into this world. Many families around the world love celebrating Christmas with all the members of their family. There are many different traditions that come with Christmas time. My Mom told me, “I love Christmas, not because of the presents, but because of all the yearly traditions we have.” Every family does their traditions differently, and some families may not even have a tradition.

The main tradition that Christmas is known for would be putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it. My family and I always put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving and we all spend the evening decorating it together and trying to keep our dogs out of everything. This is one of my favorite things to do with my family, because we all are laughing and having a great time while doing it.

Looking at Christmas lights is one of my all time favorite parts about Christmas time. There are so many houses and parks that are lit up during this time of the year. Leaverton Park is the only park around Crawford county that has lights all over the park. Every year my family and I drive through the park and look at all the beautiful lights that take so much time and patience to put up and control. Three years ago when I met my boyfriend Jon, we went to the lights together for the first time, and now it is also a tradition for him and I to drive through the park also, so now I get the chance to go with my family and also Jon. “It is so interesting how the whole park is lit up at night and how you can just drive through as many times as you please!” I always look forward to driving around town and seeing all the different homes that are decorated for Christmas time, and I also love going to the Christmas parade in Robinson every year too.

“Family time is the most important thing to me during Christmas,” said my Aunt Leslie. Every year we all gather together at my aunt and uncle’s house for a Christmas dinner and to also do a dirty Santa. The food is always homemade and everyone brings one dish to share. Three years ago we thankfully got to add another family to our Christmas get together, that family would be my boyfriend Jon’s family. Before I met Jon, the only people who would come to this get together would be my two cousins and their significant other, my Mom and Stepdad, my sister, and my aunt and uncle. Now we added two more family members to this special day, Jon and his mom Lisa. Not only do I have this get together, but I also get to have one at Jon’s house with his mom and sister too. Lisa always makes the best food, and for the past three years I have been going there, we always go to a movie after our dinner. I really enjoy both of these traditions, and I am so happy I have added a new one into my life. I hope one day Jon and I can have similar traditions with our children and our family.

New traditions come every year for me and this year it just so happened to be making gingerbread houses. My family and I have never had this tradition before, but hopefully it will become part of our yearly Christmas traditions. I have always wanted to make a gingerbread house, but surprisingly this year was my first time. I know it is not Christmas yet, but Jon and I have already made a gingerbread house, and my family has plans to make them all together at our get together. This is a special tradition to a lot of families, and I hope my family and I enjoy it as much as other families do. “When I was a kid I made a gingerbread house every year with my siblings, and I miss doing it so much. I am so happy I get to make them with your family this year,” said Jon’s mom Lisa.

This year I do not want our family Christmas to be all about gifts and the food, even though those are great touches to Christmas time. I want us to be happy to be together and to have a fun filled evening with our new tradition, and even our old traditions.