People across the globe have all sorts of unique and cultural Christmas traditions, and Villa Maria Academy is no different. The teachers here have all sorts of traditions during the holiday season, and no two are exactly alike.
All four of the following teachers spoke about their favorite traditions with passion and joy, and the Christmas spirit was prevalent in their words.
Creative Writing and English teacher Ms. C-F really tries to keep Jesus at the center of her holiday season. It makes her sad that Christmas is so over-commercialized and that getting the best gifts for your family members is viewed as the most important aspect.
“I truly enjoy being with people and just spending time with those who mean something to me,” Ms. C-F said. “I do love to buy and make gifts, but what I truly relish in are the moments when I can laugh, drink coffee or tea, have a meal, and relax with my loved ones. To me, that is the true Spirit of Christmas—time together and the magic we create in our memories.”
One of her favorite Christmas traditions is celebrating her dad’s birthday, who was born on Christmas Day! Around 5 p.m. at her parents’ house, her whole family switches from celebrating Christmas to celebrating his birthday.
“My mom makes a dinner that’s special for him, and of course we have a buttercream-frosted Giant Eagle cake with plenty of roses on it so we all get lots of icing,” Ms. C-F said. “We sing to him, we eat cake, he opens his presents, and the festivities of the day continue. It’s a great ‘end’ to Christmas Day.”
She hopes that more people focus on kindness this holiday season, rather than gifts from a store.
Social Studies Department Chair Mrs. Martin has years of memories from Christmas Eve. Her favorite tradition is spending it with her mom’s side of the family.
“My extended family all get together for dinner at my grandmother’s house for what is basically a summer picnic in December,” Mrs. Martin said. “We have potato salad, baked beans, and my grandmother’s secret recipe of sloppy Joes, that we lovingly call ‘Gramwich.’ I have no idea why we do not eat a traditional Christmas ham dinner like many American families, but our silly picnic fits my very quirky family.”
Mrs. Martin’s entire family then indulges in ten types of cookies and desserts that her dad makes. She remembers when she was younger, she would play a game called “Secret Spy” with her family members.
“I remember sneaking downstairs to shake presents and then slinking back to the upstairs living room without getting caught,” Mrs. Martin said. “Looking back as an adult, all the adults knew us kids were doing it, but pretended not to see so we could have that little bit of fun.”
Her family spends the rest of the night waiting for Santa, and they celebrate by singing Christmas songs. Mrs. Martin said that they were always terribly off-key, and her three cousins would try and play the flute.
“To this day, if the song ‘Up on the Rooftop’ comes on the radio, I have to switch channels,” Mrs. Martin said.
When Santa finally arrives, the family goes nuts. The kids are handed their presents one by one from Santa, and he even hassles the adults to tell him if they have been good or bad. Once he finally leaves, the kids tear into the presents immediately. Mrs. Martin’s grandmother tries her best to keep up with the trash bag, but there is no stopping them.
“The joy and magic of this special holiday is Christmas morning for most families, but for my unusual family, it is all about Christmas Eve and traditions that began many years ago,” Mrs. Martin said.
Mrs. Martin’s “unpopular” Christmas opinion is that she leaves her Christmas tree up long after the holiday season is over. She normally leaves it up until the end of January, and she loves to read on her Kindle next to the glowing lights. Due to the stress of the pandemic, she has actually kept her tree up since Thanksgiving of 2020, and she feels no shame in that.
Science and Anatomy teacher Mr.McCall loves picking out his own Christmas tree every year. He has a tradition with his wife where they go and pick one out together.
“After I take the tree into the house, my wife begins making homemade chili,” Mr. McCall said. “I set the tree, then go help her make homemade pepperoni rolls in the kitchen. As the rolls are baking and the chili simmers, we decorate the tree together. I don’t know how, but every year we have perfect timing. By the time the chili and pepperoni rolls are done, we are also finished with decorating the tree.”
The two of them finish their night by eating the chili and pepperoni rolls under the glow of the new Christmas tree! They watch what Mr. McCall calls “the greatest Christmas movie of all time,” which is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
For some “unpopular” Christmas opinions, Mr. McCall believes that Christmas Eve is much better than Christmas Day. He also thinks that Elf on the Shelf is creepy, and that A Christmas Story should not be played for twenty-four hours straight on Christmas Day.
Mrs. Seip is the Assistant Vice President of Academics and Student Affairs at Cathedral Prep, Villa Maria, and Mother Theresa Academy. Her favorite Christmas tradition revolves around what her family does on Christmas Eve.
“My family would always get together that night,” Mrs. Seip said. “We would have dinner and exchange one gift between my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. We would also sing Christmas carols while my Uncle played the piano.”
Ever since this tradition started in her family, Christmas Eve has always held a special place in her heart. Even now that her family has grown, she still keeps the tradition alive.
“My mom, sister and I FaceTime on Christmas Eve, and my nephew gets to open one of his gifts from me,” Mrs. Seip said. “We listen to Christmas songs or watch old Christmas specials from when we were kids. Elvis, Bing Crosby, and The Carpenters’ Christmas Portrait are on the list of favorites.”
Mrs. Seip has some “controversial” opinions about Christmas as well. She does not like eggnog, and she does not think that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. She finds that funny and ridiculous.
Even though all of these traditions are unique, there is one unifying theme that sticks out, and that is putting the true spirit of Christmas first. Who got the latest Apple product or baked the best cookies does not matter in the long run. What matters is the time that we spend with those we care about and the memories that we make each year. That is the true spirit of Christmas.
