Kids' Favorite Holiday Traditions

You met our Scholastic Kids Council on Halloween when they showed us their awesome Halloween costumes. This month, we wanted to find out what their favorite holiday traditions are. Everybody has different traditions but they all sound so cool!

Marlo, age 11, New Jersey

One tradition that I really enjoy is when we get together with family friends to decorate their Christmas tree. It's at the house of my mom's best friend from high school. All of my Mom's other friends come too! When we decorate the tree, it's always amazing to see all of the ornaments that they've had for as long as I can remember. (There are even a few that I made myself!) At the end, we always have dinner and dessert. We also all give presents to one another for either Christmas or Hanukkah. The funniest year was when we were trying to put the star on the top of the tree, and the whole tree almost fell down! Everyone rushed to catch it.
Another special tradition is our Hanukkah celebration with my Dad's family. It's especially exciting because my birthday is in December and I usually get double the presents!! My grandmother makes latkes (potato pancakes) and we have a nice dinner with all of my cousins. We light the Hanukkah menorah and sometimes play with dreidels.

Gage, age 9, New Jersey
I always get the Lifesaver Candy Book in my stocking. My presents are outside under a pine tree. My favorite holiday tradition is ringing pots outside on New Year's Eve and then going to the New Year's Day Mummers Parade in Philadelphia.

Chloe, age 10, California
We have lots of fun traditions for the holidays, but one of my favorites is our Gingerbread House Contest. Every year, we compete with other families to build the best house. Last year we built Winnie the Pooh's Honey House. Two years ago we built the White House. It is fun and there is lots of candy.

Andrea
My family has a very unique tradition of celebrating New Year’s Eve. On December 31st, while everyone is preparing for a New Year’s Eve party, and New Yorkers are awaiting the glass ball on 42nd Street to drop, my family is preparing for our annual tradition. On the day of December 31st, we put coins by our doors and windows in our house, welcoming good fortune and wealth for the upcoming year. We also arrange thirteen rounded fruits together in a bowl and put it in the middle of the table for prosperity and good health. We then make sure that we have a lot of food and money on hand for a bountiful year. Then, relatives come to our house, eat dinner, and play games. While the countdown is happening, kids jump so that they can grow taller in the year. After the countdown, the host of the party throws everyone coins that we saved and collected. Whatever coins you get will be your lucky charms for the New Year. This tradition has been carried on through generations and we make it meaningful every year as a family.

Jelaney, age 9, New York
When it snows, my sisters and I go outside in our backyard and play in the snow. We make snow angels and snowmen. Sometimes we get out the sled and try and make a hill of snow, but it always falls! When we get in the house, we smell the sweet scent of hot cocoa in 3 little mugs. I get extra marshmallows! These are some of my holiday traditions!

Finn, age 10, New York
Every year my brother, my mom, and I make a gingerbread house. I think it's my favorite tradition because it's a fun project shared with my family, and also we get to eat it after Christmas is over. Each time, we look online for ideas and try to use different kinds of candy. We try to make it more creative and "professional-looking" each year. It's really fun and I always look forward to it when the holidays come around.

Molly, age 9, Michigan
Every year my family goes to our cottage Up North. We always go skiing a little later than usual on Christmas Eve. Every year my family and I go and pick a TALL real tree. My mom always puts up stockings at the house we aren't at for Chirstmas and when we come back no suprise they're empty.

Aarushi, age 10, Michigan
My favorite thing that I like to do with my sister is putting up and decorating our Christmas tree. We actually have 2! You see, we've always had this miniature white Christmas tree until about last year. We got a new one and it was pretty big! Now, instead of cramming all the ornaments onto one tiny tree, we get to decorate 2!

It all sounds so fun! Leave a Comment telling us about YOUR favorite holiday tradition.

Comments

[Comment #1]

My church does a nativity play each year and I always take part. It´s lots of fun to learn about Christmas while having fun acting with friends!

[Comment #2]

We open presents on Christmas Eve and then stay up all night and sleep until lunch on Christmas day. That's how we've always done it at our house, and I love it.=D

[Comment #3]

I enjoy spending time with my family.

[Comment #4]

decorating the house

[Comment #5]

Every year my Dad and I make a pizza to celebrate the birthday of Jesus

[Comment #6]

IT is almost winter break yay!

[Comment #7]

i am still in school

[Comment #8]

i love to decorate my house

[Comment #9]

i dont make pizza on christmas but i do have a feast

[Comment #10]

Each year, my parents, my brother, and I go to the place where my parents are from. My dad's brother, his wife, and two teenage daughters have a cottage there, complete with a fireplace that's always lit, and no neighbours visible through the woods.
My dad's other brother also comes with his wife and teenage daughter and son, and my grandfather attends too.
We have a turkey dinner and just be family. It's one of the only times that we all get together. It's something to depend on, something that we look forward to.

[Comment #11]

my favorite shop is clarie's

[Comment #12]

do you have a ds light

[Comment #13]

becuase i have one

[Comment #14]

Here are my favorite holiday traditions. Every year, my brother and I hang our stockings up on the stairs. After that, I decorate the whole tree except for the star, which my dad always puts on. After that we run around like crazy people wrapping up our presents. Our house ends up looking like a tornado hit it! Then we go to my aunt's house where we spend time with my dad's family. The next day we go to my grandparents house,where we spend time with my mom's family. Then we all go home and open our presents.Just before we go to bed, we have delicious hot cocoa. And then I go to sleep thinking about the new year. =)

[Comment #15]

i am at home becuase it the last day of school

[Comment #16]

right now im doing 3things
1.on laptop
2.watching tv
3.playing

[Comment #17]

IT IS A LOT OF COMMENTS

[Comment #18]

I CAN NOT WAIT ONTILL CHRISMAS I AM SO HAPPY

[Comment #19]

on xmas eve we go to my grandmother's house. we open presents from her, have dinner, then watch our favorite xmas movie while making xmas cookies.

[Comment #20]

I love xmas!!!!!!!!!!!

[Comment #21]

i tog yreve eno fo uoy!read this backwords then you should geet it.:) i got every 1 of you with my werd speling if I din't atleest I tride.;)

[Comment #22]

WE GOT TO GO TO OUR DADS MOM HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS AND WE HAD SO MUCH FUN BECOUSE WE GO TO SEE OUR FAMILY

[Comment #23]

on christmas i love to put the tree up and make cokies and open my gifs i hope i get something good?

[Comment #24]

Every year we bake Christmas cookies! And decorate the tree! And open PRESENTS!!! (That's my favorite part; not to seem greedy)

[Comment #25]

My holiday tradition is to put out cookies and milk for Santa. My family also gives carrots for The flying deer!