It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!!! Happy holidays to all. Christmas is right around the corner and that means our holiday traditions are in order! What’s Christmas without some traditions with friends and family? What are some of your favorite traditions?
A very common tradition is the White Elephant. An odd name, I know. But, it is quite a fun game during the holidays. The white elephant is an exchange game where everyone invited is required to bring a gift. Everyone gets a number and sits in a circle. Whoever gets number one goes first. They pick a gift from the middle and open it. Everyone gets to see the gift and then move on to the next number. The fun twist of the game is…. You can steal a gift from another player. After the first person goes, you can either take someone’s gift or take something from the middle. If your gift got stolen, you get to either steal a new gift (Not the same one you had before) or grab another from the middle. And don’t worry, usually the first person can choose to switch at the end of the game. However, if the gift is stolen 3 times, it’s no longer able to be taken.
Okay now that the elephant is out of the room, another fun tradition for many families and friends is… Secret Santa! This tradition works by everyone pulling a name out of a hat (Bowl, cup, whatever you use). Whoever’s name you pull, you buy them a gift. When the day comes, everyone gives and receives their gifts. It can be quite fun and a cute way to bond with your family and friends.
Have you ever noticed some houses decked out with bling during the holidays? If you have, it’s mainly because a huge tradition in the US is to decorate your house with Christmas lights! Some people get red and green, while others get white or yellow-toned lights. Some people even do rainbow! Or even get huge decor to put in their yards ranging from inflatable Santa to sleighs! Many people love to go all out and decorate inside and outside of their homes. Another fun tradition inside of that one, people love to drive around to see the Christmas lights with their family or friends! So, go get some snacks and hot cocoa, hop in the car, and go see some lights!
When it comes to Christmas trees there can be many traditions associated with it. If you prefer real trees, it can be quite the tradition. Lots of cute tree farms are located in Marietta and Acworth! The fun thing is, that each tree has a different look to it, meaning you can find what looks most like a tree your family likes. To make the tradition fun, bring hot chocolate and sing Christmas songs the whole time!
A fun tradition my family does each year is watching A Christmas Carol! We go to the Alliance Theater in downtown Atlanta (sometimes we bring friends) and watch the live production. We go to a fancy dinner before and turn it into a fun night for everyone! Freshman, Beckham Gardiner said, “I personally really enjoy going out and shopping for Christmas.” Gardiner exclaimed his excitement for the tradition, Secret Santa, that his family does each year. “I don’t really care who I get but I think it would be fun for one of my siblings to get me because Santa and my parents have the same taste in gifts if you know what I mean.”. Well, hopefully, one of his siblings is his secret Santa…
The holiday season is a wonderful time to spread love and charity. Christmas isn’t just about gifts but it’s about the memories you make and what you believe in. Although most (Including me) look forward to the gifts we get on Christmas, this holiday is truly made to spread joy around everyone. It is still fun to do gift exchanges and it’s a good thing to spoil yourself and friends as long as we keep family and friends in our hearts this season. Merry Christmas and enjoy the holiday break. Spread some joy and make new traditions!
