By Whitney Downard
Staff Writer
Christmas is a time for tradition. Every year, we stress about finding the perfect presents for our friends and family members, but our most cherished memories are often the times spent together. Traditions can be silly, serious or heart-felt, but each brings people together in celebration of Christmastime and everything it has to offer.
Kayla Back, a sophomore biology major, said she has a rather unusual Christmas tradition in her household.
“We started this tradition as a joke but it’s been going strong for ten years. Every year we have a U.F.O., or an Unidentified Fried Object,” Back said. “We fry something up and put it into the mashed potatoes. It’s small enough that you don’t even know it’s there until you eat it. Sometimes it’s sausage, sometimes it’s beets. Last year it was so burnt I couldn’t even tell what it was.”
Sophomore biology major Anna Martin’s household Christmas traditions also revolve around food and eating with her family.
“Christmas morning, we open all of our presents in our pajamas and eat apple strudel with hot cocoa,” Martin said. “Then we get dressed and have eggs benedict, and for dinner we have ham, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and custard. We have the exact same thing for Christmas every year. I’ve never had a Christmas without eggs benedict.”
Robbie Sequeira, a sophomore philosophy major, enjoys spending Christmas in New York City.
“Every year, my sister and I visit the big Rockefeller Center tree and go ice skating,” Sequeira said. “Then we go home and drink eggnog. We used to always try to pull an all-nighter on Christmas Eve to catch Santa, but it never worked.”
For some with families who live across the country, Christmas can be the only time of year when they get to see their distant aunts and uncles. This is the case for students such as Tim Stead, a sophomore biophysics major.
“We always go to our grandparents for Christmas Eve, and my whole family gets together,” Stead said. “Traditions bring families together even when they grow up and everyone starts to do their own thing. Even when they live far away and you don’t get to see them very often.”
For Chernice Miller, a sophomore theater major, Christmas traditions primarily involve the Christmas tree.
“We put the Christmas tree up together and every year my mom gets us Hallmark ornaments. We have entire Hallmark ornament series. Our tree could be in the catalog,” Miller said.
These Christmas traditions bring us together each year in celebration of family, generosity and gratitude. Whether it’s unwrapping one present on Christmas Eve or simply enjoying Christmas dinner with all of the family, we set aside this time of year to be together and celebrate. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all Bonnies.
