It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and with finals around the corner, we decided to spread some holiday cheer by asking a few students around campus what their favorite holiday traditions are. So, Portland State: What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
Students shared some of their interesting family holiday traditions. Jamon Sin/PSU Vanguard
“We always have a tradition of going to see my mom’s side of the family, where we have an early Christmas with them. Christmas day, we do Christmas at our house, after that, we go to my dad’s family’s for more. It’s almost like three Christmases, and yeah it’s hectic, but it’s awesome to get so much family time.” —Kaylin
Class of 2020
“Usually, we decorate after Thanksgiving, and that’s always fun. Sometimes, though, we travel somewhere warm right around Christmas [because it gets really cold up here], somewhere like California or Texas. We have extended family in those states, too, so it’s always a treat to see them, and we usually stay a week or two with them.” —Amy
“Christmas is ‘family time’ for us. [It’s] a time for enjoying not only gifts but the presence of your loved ones. In my family, and in Thailand, Christmas and New Year are extremely joyous, and there are a lot of big parties. Sometimes we give away prizes for games, or even just gifts to strangers.” —Orakarn
“My favorite holiday tradition is when we wake up on Christmas day with all of my family together. We usually have mimosas Christmas morning, and we have a special breakfast meal that my mom makes every single year. It’s honestly so great because it brings us all together; we all look forward to sharing this tradition, not just the presents.” —Spencer
“This time of year, we actually have a big tradition around Thanksgiving. My family gets tons of people together: friends, family and everyone else within our circles. Aside from the massive feast, the other thing that we have is a stage and karaoke thing in our garage. We all perform for each other, and it’s a blast because it’s so open and entertaining.” —Jake
“For Christmas, we have a small gathering and get my family together—but actually, my favorite part of it is being able to go home to Hawaii, because it’s the only time of the year I get to go. Every year we have a huge barbecue, cook a big feast and make bonfires, because that’s a Filipino tradition that my family really likes, and I really like too.” —Jed
“So every year we get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. Which isn’t unusual, but every year my mom gets to pick it, and we always get excited—and I’m 22, and I know what I’m going to get. It’s always a horrible pair of pajamas, or a robe, or slippers that match…it’s horrible and we hate it, but we do it every year and every year we put them on, we smile and we’re so happy.” —Nicky.
” My family never really had the traditional full course meal and Thanksgiving turkey—my whole family ends up going to Izzy’s, just going there on Thanksgiving day, and we did it this Thanksgiving as well. I don’t really tell people I don’t have a dinner plan or go to Izzy’s, just because it’s such a tradition to us even though we can afford a full course meal nowadays and just to get that feeling and what not.” —Kennedy
“Every year we like to watch Christmas Vacation National Lampoon because it’s the best one. You can’t watch Vacation…well you can, but it’s not the best, you gotta watch Christmas Vacation…but we kind of watch it in July or March, but you know since it’s Christmas Vacation we apply it to Christmas. It’s our favorite because the family, it’s pretty much all of our roles so we quote it all through the year, but then it’s just kind of hyperextended when it gets to Christmas season then we just let loose and watch it like 5 times before the months over. Since it’s almost the last day of November, we’re about to bust out and watch it…like I said, 5 times until Christmas is over…so hopefully we can carry that on this year.” —Emily
“Get together with my family and my cousins, all together to have lunch or dinner. During the holidays we like to give children some money to buy their own things. I hope to go to back to Kuwait, as I haven’t been back home for several years and miss my family very much.” —Muhammad
“The weirdest thing during the holidays with my family is that my dad still gives himself and the rest of us presents from Santa and he even tries to disguise his handwriting on the gift itself.” —Hannah