As we quickly approach Christmas, Bellarmine students are anxious to enter into the long break and partake in the search of a tree, decorating of festive cookies, and the hanging up of stockings above the chimney. There are well-known traditions that are tied to the holiday season, but we wanted to anonymously ask students what holiday traditions they love that may be signature to their families and friends. Maybe you’ll find a new one or just enjoy reading these amazing stories from different students.
- Junk Food Night: “Either the day before Thanksgiving or the day before Christmas, my family likes to do a Junk Food Night where literally all we eat is junk food. We’ll go to the store and buy tons of snacks and then come home and watch movies all night.”
- The Pickle Ornament: “My parents will hide a pickle ornament in our tree somewhere and my brother and I have to find it. Whoever finds it first gets to open their gifts first!”
- Christmas Journals: “Every year on Christmas, after we open presents, we’ll each take a journal and we’ll have different categories that we reflect on and write about. We will take that and think about it when coming into the new year. It will be about what we want to improve or what we want to stay the same.”
- Cereal for Santa: “Instead of putting out milk and cookies for Santa, my family thought about how it would be more efficient to just merge the two. So, you know that Cookie Crunch cereal? We just put out a bowl of that because it’s cookies and milk in one.”
- ZooLights: “I would say my favorite Christmas tradition is going to see ZooLights. We go out to Point Defiance every year and walk around to see the lights with friends and family.”
- California Christmas: “When my grandparents lived in San Jose, California, we would fly there every Christmas. The entire California side of the family would go to their house with us and there was this model train set. My grandparents would set it up around the tree and it had a great atmosphere. The same little angel would be on top of the tree every year as well, and we would sit and do a Secret Santa.”
- Christmas Eve at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse: “My parents are divorced, but every single year my dad and I go to the BJ’s restaurant in Kent and we always get dinner together. And it doesn’t have to be the same thing, it can literally be anything we get. But we’ll always get dinner together and then usually watch a movie. And that’s how I usually spend my Christmas Eve.”
- A Crowded Christmas Journey: “We go down to my grandparent’s house every single year in Portland, Oregon and we always take one car. That doesn’t sound so bad, but I’m in a family of seven and if anyone decides to bring their girlfriend, a friend, or a roommate, then it can get pretty crowded. It’s especially bad if we take an animal too. Then we drive to my other grandma’s house, we watch the same movie every year, and then we drive back and open presents. It’s pretty fun. Sometimes it’s a little irritating, but for the most it’s a good time.”
- Santa and the Elves: “My dad was in Abu Dhabi for two to three years when I was in middle school, and we would go and spend Christmas with him over there. And while we were over there, he got a Santa costume for my brother and elf costumes for my sister and I. Ever since then, even now that he’s back home, my brother puts on the Santa costume, and my sister and I put on the elf costumes, and we hand out the gifts. So people don’t go over to the tree to grab them, it’s me and my sister, dressed as elves, handing out gifts. And my brother just “ho ho ho’s” on the side.”
- Barbie Christmas: “Something that I do with my family is that we rewatch the Barbie: A Perfect Christmas movie every single year. We sing along to the iconic songs in the movie and drink hot cocoa. It’s not a great movie of course, but it’s something I look forward to when the Christmas season begins.”
The Bellarmine community is full of students with their own unique stories. Traditions give a little look into the lives of others, and it is sort of magical to hear all of these quick anecdotes. They paint an illustrative picture of these both hilarious and deeply impactful moments.
Take some time to reflect. What Christmas and holiday traditions do you enjoy doing with your family and friends? Can you think of a story that you associate with this time of year that puts a smile on your face?
