STUDENTS RELATE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

By Tara Murakami

My family doesn't really have any special traditions. We do basically the same thing as every other family. On Christmas Eve we all get to open one present. We watch "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and read the "Night Before Christmas" or watch whatever movie happens to be on. My nieces leave cookies out and we all go to bed. The next day we open the rest of our presents and then my whole family comes over to eat Christmas dinner. That's about it.

By Chris Martin

The best Christmas I ever had was when I was 9 years old. I wanted a cat. I remember when I asked my mom for a cat and she said "no." I knew it was because she has asthma. A week later I decided to ask again. "No!" So I gave up. Two weeks later Christmas rolls around and I felt disappointed. That evening after the presents had been opened and everyone had gathered in the family room, we received a knock at the door. I answered it and received a 3-month-old kitten that I named Tator.

By Ben Ramsey

Every Christmas my family drives down to Jackson, Miss., to visit my grandparents and my aunt's family. My grandma cooks a big dinner and we open presents. Then my grandpa's truck-driver friends come over and watch football. I hate driving all that way but I guess all the extra presents make up for it.

By Catherine Buchanan

All I could think about was that cute little Golden Retriever puppy that was for sale. My mother said she wasn't sure if I could have it considering we already had three. But a week before Christmas my mother picked me up and surprised me by taking me out to get a puppy. I got to pick one out and name her. I still have Shane. She was the best Christmas present ever!

By Lorrie Woolly

The best Christmas I ever had was about seven years ago. We met at my uncle's house and had a very large Christmas and in the morning all we found were tiny reindeer and a tiny box. On the reindeer was a small note. It said we were going to Disneyland.

By Sara Mann

My favorite family tradition on Christmas is going to my grandparent's house Christmas morning. They always cook a delicious meal and always have the most presents to give away which is usually everything I asked them for. I like getting together with my family on Christmas and having a wonderful time!

By Jessica Newberry

We have lots of traditions when it comes to Christmas, like how everybody on my mom's side of the family comes to our house every Christmas. Or how we only open one present on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. But the most popular tradition in our house is the calendar that we always hang on our closet door on the 1st of December. But this isn't any ordinary calendar. This calendar has a little pocket for each day, which my mom fills with four pieces of candy. One for my brother, sister, me and my dad. Every day we get to get out a piece of candy for that day. And that is what we use to count down the days till Christmas!

By Chrissy Gore

One of my family traditions is on Christmas Eve we can all open one present. The rest of my family waits with a camera to get the surprised look on my face. On Christmas morning we get up early and then we open the rest of our presents. It is really nice to have presents on two days. Our Christmases are really great.

By Rob Gauthier

My favorite Christmas tradition is the reading of the Bible and the Christmas story. After that, we gather around the tree. My dad gives the presents out. Most of the time we are happy with what we get. After we are done cleaning all the wrapping up, we get some paper and a pen and write a "thank you" card to the people who gave us gifts outside the family. Then we gather around the dinner table for Christmas dinner. We always have ham, turkey and roast beef. After dinner (since it is Christmas), we all help with the dishes.

By Brandon Buttrey

The most memorable Christmas I've ever had was when I was about 4 years old. We were living in Hawaii and my dad was overseas in Japan because he was in the military. I thought we would have the same old thing, sit in the kitchen, eat Sloppy Joes and listen to my mother talk about how cute I was and other weird conversations. A week and half before Christmas, mom came bursting in and said we were visiting grandma and grandpa in Missouri. I got so excited and was so happy. I had a good time playing in snow, eating good food, and hearing new conversations. The best of all was the presents.

By Tabatha Stovall

At Christmas, on my mom's side of the family, the grownups draw names and get whoever's name they picked, a gift. We also open one gift on Christmas Eve night then the rest on Christmas at my house. We always go to my grandma's house in St. Louis and my grandpa hands out the presents to everybody. We always have fun on Christmas.

By Lisa Rodriguez

My favorite Christmas tradition is on Christmas Eve. My family looks at the Christmas lights at the park. We come home, my sister and I open a small present from each other and my mom reads us the Christmas story. I go to sleep in my sister's room so we don't get so bored when we can't fall asleep.

By Michelle Fike

The best Christmas ever was when I got to visit my dad in Kansas. My dad asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted a pair of ruby red slippers like Dorothy had in the "Wizard of Oz." That was always my favorite movie and I was in Kansas so I wanted to be like Dorothy. Well, I got something better. It was the next morning and I ran into the living room. I saw no presents under the tree. Then, all of a sudden Dorothy came out, took off her slippers and gave them to me. Then the wicked witch came out with the rest of my presents. It was so different. At the time I thought they were real, but now I know the witch was my mom and Dorothy was a hired person. That was a Christmas I'll never forget.

By Brian Tenkhoff

Every Christmas Eve my family and I go to my grandparent's house in Oran, Mo., to have a Christmas dinner and open our presents from them. Then we come back to Cape and go to church. After that, we go home, and we open all of our presents on Christmas Day.

By Lezlie Scifers

My sister and I go over to my dad's house on Christmas Eve. My grandparents go over there too. We eat supper and then open up all of our presents. We go home that night. All of my relatives stay the night with me. The next morning we wake up and go downstairs and look in our stockings and then open up all the presents. Next we get dressed and go to Dexter where my grandma lives and we eat turkey and a whole bunch of other stuff. And that's what my family does on Christmas.

By Ryan Bollwerk

I was in the second grade when I had my greatest Christmas. I was hoping to get a lot of Ninja turtles; that being popular back then. It was finally Christmas Eve and I opened every present given to me. Nothing -- clothes and junk was all I got. Until I got one more present. It was in a box for clothing and I didn't suspect a thing. I opened it and was surprised to see 10 new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

By Jessica Bowman

My favorite Christmas was about two years ago. My aunt and uncle and their four kids spent Christmas at my grandma's house. Since I live with her, I was also there. Well it was a great Christmas Eve because we were all excited about what we would get. Around 11 p.m. we finally all went to bed. Around 4:30 a.m., my cousin woke me up so we could open our presents. Then after we opened them, I went back to bed and fell asleep until 11:30 that day.

By Nichole Zoellner

One tradition that we have on Christmas is that on Christmas Eve we go to my grandma's in Perryville and then we go to my mom's house in Cape and open our presents. On Christmas day we go to my dad's and then go to my grandpa Zoellner's house and open presents there too. After that we go to my dad's wife, Dena's mom and dad, and open presents there and we are finally finished.

By JoAnn Henry

One year for Christmas my cousin wanted a small fire truck. My aunt got a huge box and filled it with smaller boxes. The boxes got smaller and smaller and finally he opened a box that had a piece of paper in it. It said go to the laundry room and open the dryer. There it was, his toy fire truck.