by: encore readers and staff

Holiday traditions. For many of us, they are what makes the season so special. Whether weird, unique, sentimental or just because it wouldn’t be Christmas without them, each person’s or family’s traditions are cherished and looked forward to the whole year ‘round. This year we wanted to hear about ‘em: What are our encore readers’ holiday traditions?

“Our family celebrates a Christmas tradition which was started by my youngest daughter when she was 7 years old. She had learned about children in another country that left their shoes out on December 6th (Saint Nicholas Feast Day) in hopes that he would fill them with treats if they had been good. My daughter left her shoes out every year until she got married at the age of 21 and always found some “goodies.” This special tradition is carried on at our house today by my grandchildren. They bring a shoe to our house the night before, and are always delighted when they arrive the next day and find their surprises.”
Sally L. Galioto

“Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for Christmas Eve dinner. [My daughter] Brooke and I always shop for our new Christmas jammies to wear Christmas morning. We pick out whatever we want!”
Kris Beasley

“The ornaments on my family’s live Christmas trees throughout the years have always been a pretty big deal. We have ornaments that my sister and I made growing up, an ornament for each annual summer vacation to Ocean Isle Beach, ornaments for special occasions, ornaments given as gifts—no ornament we have ever acquired has ever been left off. As you can imagine, this makes for an incredibly random—and incredibly packed—growing hodge podge of decorations on the tree from year to year. There is no theme, and no two are alike; but every one is special for the place, purpose or person who made it.

My sister and I had them all memorized from an early age, and we formed a game as kids in which one of us would hide an ornament and the other would have to come in and figure out which one was removed. It’s a game will still play every year to this day—and with hundreds of ornaments on my parents’ tree, we always know if a single one is missing.”
Emily Rea

“A big pot of soup on Christmas Eve. Invite friends, strangers and even that creepy neighbor... Eat. Burp. Live it up.”
Carey Sessoms

“In our family, [growing up] and mine [now], we have seven fishes on Christmas Eve. I make all kinds of fish dishes, and we have an awesome Christmas Eve dinner after church—although, my kids love to tease me that crab dip and various other of my dishes are crustaceans, not really fish dishes. It makes for a fun night.

It was something my dad and mom did, so I loved it. For my mom, it sometimes meant burnt or frozen fish sticks; sometimes the fish sticks even arrived to the table still frozen, with us howling with laughter!”
Annie Anthony

“I must share ‘Grandma Todd’s Christmas Party.’ Grandma Todd was the most godly woman ever. She had 11 children, so our family numbers are huge! She started this party 73 years ago, and to my knowledge it has met every year since then. Of course, that was three years before I was born! Grandma Todd went to Heaven in 1974, but the party goes on. We meet the second Sunday in December, come rain or high water. Several years after Grandma left us, we moved to the Wendell Baptist Church, her home church. Everybody brings food, and it is good, old-fashioned North Carolina food—and lots of it. Barbecue included! Chicken and pig. We draw names and exchange gifts, which are supposed to be under $5. (I am not sure we are all ‘legal’ with that.) When you reach 18, you get to go with the adults in the gift exchange, otherwise you are a ‘child.’

“Grandma Todd was strong in her faith, as are all her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and now great-great grandchildren. The Christmas story and singing are a big part of our celebration. All the ‘sisters’ take turns planning and arranging. The sisters are down to two now, so some of us have been ‘promoted’ to fill our moms’ shoes. Of the 11 children, four are still living. It is such a part of my Christmas and a tradition that I hope will continue long after I am gone. Growing up in small-town North Carolina is just the best. Don’t let anyone ever tell you Mayberry wasn’t real—it was and is.”
Nan Crawford

“When [my sister] Kim and I were little, on Christmas night, after all the festivities were over, my family would sit on the couch, in the dark, with only the Christmas tree on. Kim and I would take turns putting Mama’s glasses on and talk about how neat the lights looked while wearing the glasses.”
Amy Holmes

“After filling up on the turkey and fixings for Thanksgiving, we would fix vegetable soup, clam chowder, oyster stew and chili for Christmas Eve. There was always plenty for whomever would drop by—plus we got to open presents early!”
Laura Scharper