Everyone has a favorite holiday tradition, so I asked staff members to share their most cherished experiences.

Hannah Smith

Q: Is there something you do with your family every year?

A: Christmas Day we all make a feast together, it can get a little cramped in the kitchen, but it’s always fun to share the joy of cooking.

Q: What is your favorite holiday treat?

A: Ghirardelli peppermint bark

Q: What is the best gift you have ever received?

A: My camera, it’s a Cannon Rebel T5, and I love it.

Thomas McNerney

Q: Is there something you do with your family every year?

A: I help my dad put up lights on our house, it’s father-son time that we get rarely, but I make the most of it.

Q: What is your favorite holiday treat?

A: Godiva chocolate balls are delectable, the gooey center melts in my mouth.

Q: What is the best gift you have ever received?

A: A loving family.

Jack Niesse

Q: Is there something you do with your family every year?

A: We go out to dinner at the Boathouse on Christmas Eve.

Q: What is your favorite holiday treat?

A: Homemade ChexMix, it’s a good ole’ family tradition.

Q: What is the best gift you have ever received?

A: Two metal rods in my back.

For me, I love my family’s Christmas Eve dinner of lentil soup, butki (Slovakian pastries), and oplatki (unleavened bread topped with honey and nuts), and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I will never forget asking why we leave our dirty dishes on the table, learning that we must leave them out so the Ghost of Christmas can eat his fill. I remember sleeping in the same bed as my brother, tossing and turning thinking of the presents I would soon unwrap. Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Here are some pictures to prove it.