STUDENTS RELATE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

By Nick Hobbs

We have a tradition every year on Christmas Eve night at my grandma's and uncles, aunts and cousins we all come and eat dinner. After that we go into the living room where we open presents all night long.

By Dustin Masterson

On the 23rd of December I get up at exactly 11:58 and look out my large window and watch it snow. The minute it turns 12 a.m. I celebrate quietly that in exactly 19 hours, 1,140 minutes, I will open up one present of my pick. When I wake at about 8:30 because of the wonderful scent of turkey. I go in the living room and ask my mom and dad when we will be leaving for my grandmother's. At about 11 a.m. we pack up the car and I pick the present I will open at grandma's. When we get there my family is there. I walk in and gift my family a hug and then it's time for dinner. Before we eat, we say a prayer that thanks God for having our family together to celebrate Christmas. Then we eat!!! After dinner we socialize to find out what's going on in everyone's life. After we talk it's time for me to open my gift. After that it's time to head home. On Christmas morning I awake before my parents and shake my presents to try to figure out what they are. After that I wake my parents up and open my presents. After opening my presents I get ready to my great-grandmothers for lunch once again.

By Zach Hasheider

Every year we go to my cousin's house and have a Christmas Eve party. We would play Sega and Super Nintendo. We would eat. Then we would play games and give presents away. Then we would go home and go to sleep. Then we would wake up and it's Christmas morning.

By Brandon Harris

The best Christmas I ever had was when I got a basset hound dog. The reason I liked this present so much was that she was so playful till 1994 when my dad sold her to a guy that worked with him. My next favorite Christmas was when I got a triple deck, twin cassette and six CD player. But my parents had gotten the one on display for me. So I tried to get the CD player working, but it wasn't catching the CDs, so when we took it back and I forgot I had accidentally left my favorite tape in the tape player and I never saw the tape again.

By Amber Reeves

The traditions in my family are that every year the weekend after Thanksgiving my family always go to get our Christmas tree. Another tradition around my house is that we always go to our grandparents house on Christmas Eve and open our presents from them. And me and my mom bake sooo many Christmas cookies we end up throwing half of them away.

By Mick Metzger

I love Christmas time. I always help my dad put up our Christmas lights. Every Christmas Eve since as far back as I can remember, my family has gone to Perryville. We go to church in Perryville. Then we go to my Grandma's farm where we have a Christmas feast. Then we get to open the present from my grandma. After that we go home and go to bed. In the morning we get up and open presents and spend the day as a family.

By Amanda Hiler

Every year my family always lets me open one present on Christmas Eve. That present is always a pair of pajamas. Then my sister and I always go and put on our pajamas. After that every year we always go and beg if we can open at least one more present and sometimes my parents give in and sometimes they don't.

By Allison Smith

I have two favorite Christmases. The first year I got my television and VCR. The second is when I got my dogs Giblet and Sugar, about two years ago.

By Justin Cook

My traditions of my family is that we always go to my grandma's to open presents on Christmas Eve. And the day of Christmas we always go to my other grandma's. And we eat turkey, ham, potatoes and all kinds of other goodies.

By Josh Goodrich

On Christmas Eve my family goes to my aunt's house and we eat so everybody sees each other and after a few hours we go home and sleep and wait for Christmas. Then my sister comes and gets everybody up. Then we open all our presents. Then we all go back to sleep and after we get up we go visit family and eat.

By Crystal Felty

On Christmas Eve I always open one present then on Christmas I open the rest. I get lots of presents and we invite our family to eat Christmas dinner. My little sister has lots of fun opening the presents and when she gets something good she plays with it and doesn't want to open the rest of her presents. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I wish Christmas was everyday.

By Adam Dwyre

Every year we open one present on Christmas Eve and the rest next morning. Usually my parents pick out the present we open.

By J.R. Lyerla

My family tradition is putting up the tree on Dec. 1 and taking it down on Jan. 5, plus we have a lot of old, family heirloom ornaments. My dad puts on all of the old ones. Then my mom puts hers on the tree. Then my brother puts his on. Then I put mine on. Finally we switch each year on who gets to put the star on top. And that is a couple of my family traditions at my house.