As the holidays come up and everyone is celebrating with friends and family, I wonder what traditions my fellow classmates have.

I walked around the classroom asking my classmates and friends what traditions they do every year. The answers I got were all different and super fun to learn about each one. I had multiple people say that they went to go spend time with family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, make gingerbread houses with family, and some have a “Secret Santa” with friends or family. 

Some of my classmates told me that they make food and treats on or near the Holidays, such as “Sticky Cake” (pound cake with a caramel glaze), different kinds of candies and cookies, and they even buy tons of Christmas candy and treats and eat it all on Christmas Day.

Here are even more traditions some people do every year: opening one present on Christmas Eve; opening up birthday gifts on Christmas Day (their birthday is on January 3); caroling; going to see a show and drinking hot chocolate; putting a little Christmas tree in their bedroom; going to the mountains to cut down a Christmas tree; and going to see family.

Over the last couple of years, my family and I have always celebrated the Holidays with friends or family, but tradition-wise, my mother likes to hide a Christmas pickle ornament on the tree, and me and my family members have to try and find it, and whoever finds it can hide the pickle next year.

After talking to everyone, I realized that everyone has a tradition they do, and it’s special to them in their own ways. People around the world have traditions that they might not know they do every year. Each tradition is very special to that person, and having traditions is a great way to spend time with friends and family.