What Is Your
Holiday Tradition?

Share Yours

The holiday season is meant to create memories, as you share meaningful moments and traditions with your loved ones. Join us as we share what this time of year is all about.

My favorite family tradition of all time happens at Christmas. When my niece (Raven) was in high school, she made friends with a pair of brothers who were living with tough economic times at home. The boys were each well over 6 feet tall and required “Big & Tall” shoes and clothing which are always more costly than standard sizes. Raven’s concern that her friends “wouldn’t have a Christmas” because of tough times began the tradition of adopting a family for the holidays every year. We make it a family mission to ensure that one family has everything that they need from food to gifts for a Merry Christmas.

God has Blessed this family in more ways than we can count. Even in the tightest of times, He has always provided us with enough to help others. Adopting a family is an easy way to show appreciation for our Blessings. To me… that’s what my family has always stood for.

– Damon W.

The holiday season is all about loved ones and gratitude. For my family, there is a lot of music, laughter, and food. My sisters, Mom, and I use this time of year to do a lot of baking which is always fun. For many years we have been hosting “Grinchmas” which is a time when we all show up in our favorite grinch or pajama attire, eat, and watch movies — of course the main event being Jim Carrey’s, “The Grinch”. All of these things are about the time we get to spend together and the memories we make. The holiday season has always served as a reminder to be grateful for our loved ones and a reminder to cherish these moments that are what truly matter.

– Johannah T.

One of my family’s kick off to the holiday season is on the Friday after Thanksgiving we start to decorate the Christmas tree. This is truly a collaborative time for us filled with the triple L’s (laughter, leftovers and liquor).

– Desiree D.

As a Southern girl, we have many traditions. That week of Thanksgiving we have the Bayou Classic, where we start with the Battle of the Bands and a football game between Southern University and Grambling University. Then the Friday after Thanksgiving, is the Big Pot of Turkey Gumbo.

This year I will also be attending a Saints Football game in New Orleans and I rented an Airbnb Villa for the weekend, with a private chef doing brunch on that Sunday morning before the game. Brunch menu will be shrimp/w loaded grits, Hennessy french toast, fresh fruit, chicken and waffles, beignets and mimosas.

– Marlene P.

Christmastime has always been so special to my family, as we’ve loved the fellowship, joy, and sparkle that it brings. Growing up we always tried to give some of the magic of the holiday to others, and we would often join community efforts and projects in the spirit of giving back.

But for the past two holiday seasons, we started a new tradition and have led our own project in an effort to honor my aunt, Christine, after her battle with stage 4 lung cancer. Tia Chrissy would always say how she wanted to encourage those who were in her same situation and remind them how loved and not alone they were. To continue her legacy, our family launched a project that creates care baskets for oncology patients at one of the hospitals in the Houston Medical Center where she underwent treatment. Through Amazon wishlists and financial donations, all items included in the basket have been carefully curated with the hospital. In Mid-December, we will package and deliver the care baskets in hopes that the patients feel the love and light that my aunt so brilliantly brought to the world and have a Merry Christmas.

– Melissa B.

For the past 35+ years, my family has had an annual family Christmas party. Each year we have a theme. (Great Gatsby, Motown, Wakanda, All Around The World, Jeans and Bling, and this year is the 90’s) I remember attending as a child and being excited to see most of my family from across the country. I loved playing with my cousins and hearing the adults having a great time downstairs. Now, I am one of the adults and am mostly in charge of the Christmas party. I enjoy seeing the kids playing with their cousins and I hope they are enjoying making the memories I did at their age.

– Christina C.

For my family, the holidays are intently focused on gratitude, service and gathering. Our family tradition begins with service. We volunteer with various organizations throughout December. My siblings and their families spend Christmas Eve at my home and we spend the evening with good fun, games and food. And for the last 20-years we have held brunch on Christmas morning at my great-aunt’s house, we have over 100 family members that show up. I look forward these times, because the memories themselves are reminders of the grace God provides.

– Nikki K.

Alex L.

Dec 19, 2022
We gather as a family, the WHOLE family, for Christmas Eve – I have a ritual of making my Mom’s eggnog recipe in her memory. It’s a pretty stout recipe, so everyone is in for the night – LOL! We open gifts at midnight – in fine Noche Buena tradition!

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