STUDENTS RELATE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

By Willie B. Long

My family Christmas is almost the same every year. First we get up and sit and wake up for a while. Then we open our presents from under the Christmas tree. After that we sit and enjoy our presents and get ready to leave at the same time. We usually go to my parents' friends or my dad's side of the family. We usually never go to my mom's side of the family because when we do we feel unwanted. When we get to where we're going we eat talk and then go for a ride the we go back, eat, watch a movie and go home. One thing I like about Christmas is the casseroles my mom makes.

By Jay Augspurger

My most memorable Christmas morning is when I really wanted a motorcycle. I couldn't sleep that whole night because I was thinking about getting that motorcycle and I was so nervous and excited. The night passed and it was Christmas morning. I heard my parents in the living room, so I came out of my room and waited by the Christmas tree for my sisters to get up. My sisters finally got up and we started opening up presents. I kept on opening presents but my mom never told me to go out back or downstairs in the basement. So all my presents were opened now and I didn't get my motorcycle.

By Jake Waller

Our tradition ever since my younger brother was born is opening presents on Christmas Eve. It's just less of a hassle to do it like this because he is so antsy to open presents. Another tradition for me is finding my presents before Christmas and see what I got. I like going this because I will ask my mom if she got me something I know she got and she lies about it.

By Derrick Moore

Our family isn't a very organized family. We spend Christmas sitting down watching a football game or if the Hornets or Bulls were playing it was a basketball game.

I wake up right at the crack of dawn. I then proceed down to my parents room. It takes me at least 15 minutes before they get up. I open all my gifts, deliver my cheer and march right back in my room.

A little later my brother comes over with his two little girls. We have a big lunch! Then after that we settle down for a little R and R.

Then we play a board game or go bowling to settle our food. This is how I spend my Christmas.

By Sabrina Pledger

On Christmas Eve I spend with my mom, dad and sister. We open all our presents. Then the next day on Christmas we go to my dad's mom's house to open presents and have dinner there. After that we go to my mom's mom's house. At my dad's mom's house we always have roast. Then my mom's mom's house we have ham.

By Dustin Sitzes

Every year I have five Christmases. The first one is in St.. Charles at my step-mother's family, the second at my grandpa's family, third my mom's side of the family, fourth is at my grandma's house and the last at my house. It is very confusing to be going to five Christmases in four weeks, but you do get lots of presents.

By Corey Lewis

On the first day of December we put up our Christmas tree and we decorate it with things we made when we were little. We put lights all over the house then we spray the tree and window with fake snow. My mom and sister make cakes and food for our company. We go to church then we have friends and family over on Christmas Eve to eat and talk and watch movies. On Christmas Day we get up early and open our presents. My mom gets the food out and we eat again. Then we are out of school for 12 days.

By Tamara King

What we do for Christmas is not really a tradition. We go over to our aunt's and grandmother's house. The little kids would go into one room and play games until my grandmother calls us down to eat. My grandmother really cooks the food we like really well. Then after everybody has eaten we go into the living room and play music. Then everybody lines up in two lines, one on the left and one on the right. One person on the right picks a person on the left to dance down the line while we play the music real loud. After everybody has calmed down, the kids go back to the room they were in. But of course I like to run back in the kitchen and get something else to eat. Now it's that time to open the presents. "Yes." If everyone gets what they want they run around the house all happy. If they don't get what they want they would start to cry. But then they would get to play with someone else's toys so they can be happy. Well, it's time for everyone to go home. We say our good-bys and then we leave. And that was the end of one fine Christmas, until next time.

By Tanita Steen

The Christmas I cherish the most is the last Christmas I spent with my mother. I was nine at the time and we had a big Christmas. My whole family was at my house. I had so many gifts that I lost one under all the wrapping paper. We were all laughing and playing with our toys while the grown-ups were in the living room talking and laughing. I had this pretty doll house my grandma brought me. I played with it all morning until it was time to eat. They had cooked a lot of food. It was like Thanksgiving all over again. After we ate we went outside and slide down the driveway. It was covered with ice. But then the next year came and we thought we were going to have another good Christmas until my mom got sick then died on the 22nd of December and that was the saddest Christmas I ever had.

By Rich Davis

Every year before Christmas we always go to my grandpa's. He grows Christmas trees. Every Christmas Eve we go to my grandma's and open presents. Christmas morning we open presents then we go to my grandma's to each lunch with my family, open presents and go home.

By Chris Wescott

My best Christmas as three years ago when my brother and I got a Super Nintendo and a CD player. We played it all the time. From morning until late at night we were listening to music and playing the Super Nintendo.

By Suzzanne Warner

We always put our tree up on Thanksgiving Day. As we get near to Christmas our floor under the tree collects with gifts. All the kids wait anxiously to open their presents. On Christmas Day we open all the presents. After opening all the presents, we go to my grandmother's house. Our whole family gathers there to eat and talk and then we open the presents and then we go home and enjoy our presents. We always take down our tree on New Year's Day.

By Tim Slinkard

My family has the same Christmas every year. I get up on Christmas Eve about 7 a.m. and do nothing till about 5 p.m. Then go to my grandma's house and open presents til 9 p.m. I go home and wait for my dad's friends to open presents. Then I go to bed and wait for Christmas.

On Christmas I wake up real early and wait for my dad to get up so I can open my presents.

After I open my presents I go to my grandpa's and open presents with my uncle. Next we eat a big lunch then I go home. I mess with my stuff till I go to bed.

By Brooke Mosley

One Christmas I had got a kitten about a week earlier and one night real late on Christmas Eve my cat Malokie was asleep by the couch. So we all went to bed, and we started hearing "meow, meow." So it got a lot harsher and even more harsh so all got up and tried to find out where Malokie could be. So the only lights that were on was the lights over the mantle and the tree. So I glanced at the floor and saw the ornaments had fell and were still falling. So we were all looking under and around the tree. Then suddenly the tree started swaying back and forth quickly then the meows started getting loud and screechy, so then just as the tree was about to fall, she jumped out and had Christmas lights trailing around the house and started running and fighting the lights.

By Justin Popp

Every Christmas we go to my grandma's house and put up lights and a manger scene. We decorate the house inside and out. Then we cook a turkey and other different kinds of food. When people start showing up, we set up tables to eat and put their presents under the tree. When everyone gets there we eat. Then we clean up and put the tables away and sit around the Christmas tree and open presents. After that we eat cake and ice cream. Then everyone goes home.

By Mary Claire Sabatini

My favorite Christmas was when I was about five years old. I woke up at about 3:00, walked into the front room and saw it. It was my first two wheel bike. I was so happy. It was just like I wanted it to be, purple and white. I sat on it for about five minutes and then went back in my room to bed.

When I wok up again at about 7:00, I acted so surprised like it was the first time I had seen it. We ate breakfast and then my dad, mom and brother taught me how to ride a two-wheel bike. I was so happy.

By Sarah Belcher

The best Christmas that I have ever had was four years ago in 1991. For a long time I had been asking for a dog. My hopes of getting one were wearing thin. Then on Christmas Eve we came home and when I walked through the door, there was a puppy sitting in a basket. We named him Chestnut because of his light-tan color. He is a terrier-poodle and likes to get into mischief. This was my favorite Christmas because I finally got the dog I wanted.

By Daniel Turner

My family has a weird tradition where you draw numbers to get gifts. When you draw a number, you pick a gift but the person who gets a number that's bigger can take your gift or pick a new one. That's my family tradition.