STUDENTS RELATE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

By April Slinkard

I really don't have a best Christmas, but my family and I have a really great tradition. Every Christmas Eve we open one gift. I love Christmas and we have so much fun. Although, when we do open the gift it usually has to be the smallest one and is usually batteries or something that makes a bigger present work. But you have to wait until Christmas morning to find out what it is. Then we go to my grandma's house and gather with my extended family.

By Rusty Dailey

I go to my grandma's on the 20th. The 21, 22, and 23 pass by. On the 24th, Christmas Eve, we set up the table and eat dinner. Then after dinner, we open presents in an orderly way. We go by first names. Then my grandpa, my littlest cousin and I go out and feed the pigs, geese, chickens and ferrets. After that we go ride three- and four-wheelers. On Christmas, I go home and open presents there.

By Josh Browning

My favorite holiday tradition is on Christmas. We open our immediate family's presents on Christmas Eve because my mom works four hours every Christmas morning. While she's at work, we wake up early in the morning and drive to Olive Branch, Ill. My favorite part about going to Illinois is driving across the bridge and feeling good as I look across the blanket of fog that wraps around the Mississippi.

After eating lunch and opening presents, we drive back to Cape Girardeau to spend the rest of the evening eating, talking and having fun at my grandma's house with the rest of my family. And that is my favorite holiday tradition.

By Josh Miller

On the day before Christmas, my family packs up all the gifts under the tree and takes them to my grandparent's house. Then Christmas morning, we open all the gifts and all our family comes over and eats lunch and then just sits around and talks. Then we eat supper and everyone goes home.

By Chris Barrows

My family always does the same thing every Christmas. First we go to my aunt's house for Christmas Eve and eat dinner. Then we open presents and talk and then we all go home. At my house, my family opens presents and then we all go to bed. In the morning, we all unload our stockings and head over to my other aunt's house to have lunch and open presents there. After that, we usually go take a drive around Horseshoe Lake and watch the geese and deer. Then we all go home and mess with our presents.

By Keegan Reker

One tradition my mom and I have is to buy an ornament with the date on it every year. We hang it on the tree. We have an ornament from my first Christmas to this coming Christmas. We have neat ornaments like "Wizard of Oz" people that you pull the strings and their arms and legs move and a Santa's elf that hammers on a little shoe with the light of a lantern.

By Melissa K. Evans

One year when I was little, it was maybe three weeks before Christmas. My sister saw my intense gaze at the pile of presents under the huge tree. Every day she'd tell me to go away and that Christmas was still a long way away. One Saturday morning, before my mom was awake, my sister sat down beside me.

"What ya waitin' for," she asked me.

"Christmas!" I replied.

"Christmas it today," she said calmly.

I opened every single one of my presents. I was sitting there playing with them when my mom walked out and looked at me with such an expression of shock and amazement that I didn't understand what it meant. She calmly told me to go in the other room, so I walked in my sister's room as my mom reboxed and rewrapped all of my presents for Christmas, which was still two weeks away.

By Bruce Behre

Twas the night before Christmas and all through my house not a creature was stirring, not even my nephew. The stockings were hung by the furnace with care in hopes that my mom would put presents there. All the little kids were snug in their beds with visions of gifts dancing in their heads. With mom in her curlers and I in my cap, we just settled our headaches for a long winter's nap. When out on my lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what's the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash when I tripped over my telephone cord and busted my sash. With hurt and pain on my big, stubbed toe, gave the luster of midday to objects below, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, my dad standing over me laughing with cheer, when I knew for that moment that my luck was not near.

By Keith Griffor

On the first day of Christmas my grandma gave to me one computer game.

On the second day of Christmas my grandma gave to me two golden rings.

On the third day of Christmas my grandma gave to me three odd jobs.

On the fourth day of Christmas my grandma gave to me four weight sets.

On the fifth day of Christmas my grandma gave to me five science books.

On the sixth day of Christmas my grandma gave to me six hours of school.

On the seventh day of Christmas my grandma gave to me seven bent teachers.

On the eighth day of Christmas my grandma gave to me eight video games playing.

On the ninth day of Christmas my grandma gave to me nine kids playing.

On the tenth day of Christmas my grandma gave to me ten dollar presents.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my grandma gave to me eleven relatives in the house.

And on the twelfth day of Christmas my grandma gave to twelve flawless days of Christmas vacation.

By Tabitha Rumley

My favorite Christmas was the Christmas of 1993. I asked for a bike from my grandmother. Christmas Eve my grandma called and told me they couldn't get me the bike I wanted. So they were going to get me a Walk Man. So they were going to get me a Walk Man. The next day they came over and just like they said they gave me a Walk Man. Later that day my mom told me to run downstairs and get something. I heard my grandma call for me so I ran upstairs and there was the bike I had wanted and I thought I wouldn't get it. That was my very favorite Christmas.