Sunday, December 2, 2012

Family Traditions

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As our weather in Southern California has finally changed, it’s beginning to feel like we are heading toward the winter holidays.  At this time of year, people look forward to certain family traditions. A tradition is “the process of handing down a belief or custom from one generation to the next.”  This week in our class we will start learning about different winter holidays and traditions around the world.

My family has a number of traditions.  My mom was a kindergarten teacher, and one of my favorite holiday traditions was helping her prepare for the winter concert at her school.  Each year I would cut out paper snowflakes until my hands were tired and help her decorate the stage for the school production.  As a mom, I eagerly await my son’s Holiday Winter concert with the school band.  This year will be his 9th winter concert.  At Chaparral, our winter concert will be held on December 17th, where we will showcase our fabulous singing for parents and the school.

Holiday Concert 2012




A second family tradition for my family is that on Christmas Eve we get to open one present.  When I was a child, that one present always ended up being pajamas.  As a parent, I have continued this tradition and my son gets to open up one present, of his choice from under the tree.





Do you have a favorite holiday tradition?   


45 comments:

  1. Our holiday tradition is to set up the trains that were my husband's when he was a young boy. We put them under the tree and have hours of fun watching them go around and around. We even decorate the cars for the holidays!

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  2. Thanks for the comment Mrs. McEvoy. Your house always looks so festive and inviting during the holidays.

    Your friend,
    Mrs. Levy

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  3. Hi Mrs. Levy's first grade class! I love the holiday time! A tradition my family has is a few weeks before christmas, we all set up the tree and decorate it with ornaments. Also on Christmas Eve, my mom cooks a big dinner and our grandparents and aunts and uncles come over to our house. On Christmas Day we all go to my grandparents house because my grandpa's birthday is on Christmas!

    Lily

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  4. My family always sets up and decorates our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, and my brothers and I make our own ornaments each year! Also, my mom cooks a big dinner for all of our relatives that come over on Christmas day. It's a lot of fun!

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  5. Hi everyone! I can't wait till the Christmas holiday starts! Usually for Christmas, my family and I visit San Francisco to meet our family and friends. It's extremely beautiful seeing the Christmas tree illuminate. Also, my friends and I go shopping in Union Square. I simply love the holidays because it's a perfect time to spend with my loved ones! I hope all of you have a merry Christmas and a happy new year :) :)
    Ambika

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    1. Dear Ambika,

      I celebrate Hanukkah every year. I like Hanukkah because I get to light the eight candles each day of Hanukkah. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas this year.

      What do you wish for this Christmas?

      Love,
      Teddy

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  6. Christmas time really is the most wonderful time of the year. At least in my opinion. Our tradition is to cook a huge italian christmas dinner. Then, we all sit in the family room and play different board games. My entire family lives in Massachusetts and New York, so I can't always see them over the holidays. Thankfully, this year we are going to Boston to visit. I'm soooo excited because I haven't seen my cousins in two years. I can't wait! There's nothing like snuggling up on the couch with some hot chocolate at christmas time.
    Love always,
    Natalie

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  7. I love your traditions! :)

    My family.tradition is setting up the Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music. We always wear fluffy Santa hats and my mom sits at the same excact place on the couch watching us work. Then we usually go to San Deiego or Chicago with family. A couple times we visited family in Japan! We also celebrate Hannuka with our family friends! How about Vladimir? What do you do?

    With love,
    Aya

    PS: right now I am getting ready to preform at my own winter concert~ I hope you guys enjoy if you're comeing! :)

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  8. Hi everyone!
    My family tradition is to meet up every year with my mom's entire side of the family at my Aunt Merkie's house. We always get the same foods and all of my cousins and I play horse and ride on scooters. This is my favorite day of the holidays and I look forward to it every year. My oldest cousins come home from college and my youngest cousins like to control the games of horse, letting us know how many letters we have left before they win! I hope everyone has a very nice and family filled holiday season!
    xoxo,
    Evan

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  9. Christmas time is my favorite time of year! It is a time where families come together and many family traditions are passed on. I love my families traditions. Every year, on Christmas Eve, my parents buy me and my younger sister a new ornament to put on the tree. We have been doing this every since we were little and getting my gift on Christmas Eve is one of my favorite parts on Christmas. Also on Christmas Eve, my family goes on the computer and follows Santa through a Santa tracker. It is so much fun so watch where Santa goes and try to guess what time he will arrive at our house! Another tradition is that we always put milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer by the fireplace so Santa can eat them as a snack on his busy night!

    Happy Holidays everyone!!

    Love,
    Rae Burnstine

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  10. Hi everyone! I have a couple traditions for the holidays. One of my family's traditions is lighting my Winnie the Pooh menorah for all eight nights of Hanukkah. I enjoy lighting these candles to celebrate my Jewish heritage and history. Another one of my favorite traditions is Disneyland: Christmas time! Every year around the holidays, my family and I visit Disneyland to see all the holiday decorations and Christmas-themed attractions. It is so fun, and it is the best time of year to be at Disneyland! Happy Holidays everyone!

    -Katie :)

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  11. Hi everybody! I think that Christmas time is the happiest time in the whole year! It's always filled with smiles and laughter:) and also lots of yummy food! My family traditions are setting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house on the first of December, going to church for the candlelight service on Christmas Eve, and Secret Santa with my family.:) I hope each and every one of you have an amazing holiday! Stay safe and have fun!
    Lots of love,
    Candice :)

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  12. I absolutely love this time of year, I always feel comfortable and cozy. My family celebrates Christmas and our main tradition that we do every year is that we all sleep over at my aunt Susie's house on Christmas eve. We always play charades with all my cousins before we go to sleep and the next morning we wait for each other to open gifts. Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday! Happy holidays! :)
    -Seti Akhavan

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  13. I love your family traditions! My family tradition is that every year we go to my Aunt's house. We all part take in bringing yummy foods. Each family gets a different family presents so it goes around in one big circle. A lot of the times we look at old pictures of our holidays before. My grandpa usually shows us how he spins the draidel upside down! I'm very excited for this season! Especially the gelt and presents! Happy Holidays everyone! :)
    Love,
    Kelsey

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  14. Hi everyone! I love this time of year! Sadly, my family has no winter traditions, but we always spend time with family. This year over winter break, my family, all my mom's siblings, their families, and my grandparents are going to Palm Springs for a week. Even though it's not far like Natalie going to Boston and Aya sometimes going to Japan, it will still be a great vacation because it will be spent with family. I hope you all enjoy time with your families this winter.

    Love Always,
    Allison

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    1. That is cool Allison hope you have a great time at Palm Spring Love sam

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  15. Hello everybody! To be honest, my family doesn't have any special travel related traditions. On Christmas Eve We usually have a party at my Aunt's house rarely ours. Its more so a routine then tradition. Happy holidays!
    -Roman

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  16. If I had to pick my favorite family tradition, it would probably be having bagels on Christmas morning. After my sister, my parents and I all open our presents, we get to sit down at the table and just relax. The bagels are so good and we are always so happy to be together. After that, my sister will probably put on a Christmas movie like "Frosty the Snowman" and we watch it together. Christmas is and always will be my favorite holiday because of all the good feelings in brings.

    -Veronica

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  17. On Christmas Eve we go to my cousin's house. We have a traditional Danish dinner with duck, red cabbage, candied potatoes, and baked apples with red currant jelly. We also have rice pudding for dessert. Who ever get the whole almond in the pudding gets good luck for the whole year, and a marzipan log. I love spending time with my family on Christmas Eve.

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  18. Dear Mrs. Levy,

    We celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. Some of our traditions are, having the elves over for Christmas break. They have fun adventures each night and we wake up to find out what funny things they have done. One time, they wrapped toilet paper all around the living room.

    Another tradition is, lighting the candles on the eight nights of Hanukkah. We also get PJ's on Christmas Eve just like you. On Christmas Day, after opening presents and playing at home, we go to our cousin's house for their Open House. On New Year's, if we are home, we have another family over that we have known our whole life. Its a busy and fun time of year!

    Traditionally yours,
    Jenna and Ty with a little help from mommy

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  19. I love the holidays!! Every year, my family gathers to have a big dinner on the last night of Hanukkah (and this year, my family from the Catskills might fly in. So exciting!!)

    We cook latkes, make my Nana's cinnamon kugel recipe, buy matzah ball soup from Jerry's Famous Deli, and make jelly donuts :) We usually read prayers, stories, and talk about the Jewish heritage. I really enjoy speaking to my older relatives about their experiences and what they remember from the past (for example, my grandma tells stories about how her uncle liberated a concentration camp, or how she remembers being teased for being Jewish.) Then we play dreidel, and finally open our last gift of Hanukkah :)

    Another tradition is that my mom, dad, brother, and I always go to the Commons for the big Hanukkah festivity that takes place there :)

    Hope you all have a super fantastic holiday season!

    xx Danielle

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  20. Dear Mrs. Levy,

    My tradition is going to Pittsburgh for a play. For example,The Earnstoff Invasion play. I liked dressing up for the play. I dressed up as a person in the school.

    Sincerely,

    Sam

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  21. Dear Nathen,

    What do you like to do for Christmas? Pasha likes to open presents when it's Christmas. He also likes to look at the decorations.

    What is your favorite present you got last year?

    Sincerely,
    Pasha and Bryce

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  22. Dear Mrs. Levy,

    Holidays are so fun!

    Every year, Heather's family celebrates Chinese New Year. Her family will light up some candles and lanterns. We hang up the lanterns and decorate the house with red decorations.

    When we are finished, at dinner, we will eat dumplings. Chinese New Year is really fun!


    For Jalyn, every year she love you, Mrs. Levy.

    Thoughtfully,
    Heather and Jalyn

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  23. Dear Mrs. Levy,

    Every year one of my cousins gets the biggest present. We call it the big box.

    That's my holiday tradition.

    What's your holiday tradition? Mine is Hanukkah.

    Your student,
    Juliet

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  24. Dear Mrs. Levy,

    My family tradition is ad a noroz. I like my tradition be cause we get to paint the eggs. I also like it because we have golden stuff on carpets and the golden stuff are mirrors. What is family tradition.

    Sincerely,
    Parsa, Kian

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  25. Dear Mrs. Levy,

    I don't celebrate Christmas, but I do celebrate Hanukkah.
    Hi, I'm Sophia!

    On Hanukkah we lite the Menorah. The Menorah has nine candles, but one is the Shi mash which they use to light the other eight candles.

    What's your favorite tradition?

    Sincerely,
    Sophia and Chl♣e



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  26. Dear Mrs. Levy,

    My family tradition is Hanukkah. Every year I go to Disneyland. My favorite thing to do is to go on rides.

    Do you ever go to Disneyland?

    Sincerely,
    Daniel and Kayla

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  27. Dear Mrs. Levy,

    My family has a number of traditions.

    Every year we go to San Fransisco. At San Fransisco, we ice skate. For Christmas every year we look at Christmas decorations in our pajamas!

    Do you ever do anything crazy in your pajamas?

    From,
    Savannah and Sophia

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  28. Hi everyone! I love the holiday season. Im jewish, so i celebrate hannukah (I still love singing christmas songs haha). We don't have any specific traditions, but my dad makes the best latkes, which are potato pancakes so usually we have family over and my dad cooks for us. Its a jewish tradition to play dreidel, which is a spinning top, so my cousins and i all play together. I love the holidays. I hope you all have a great holiday season!<3
    xoxo,
    Eden

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  29. Sophia Solis' FamilyDecember 5, 2012 at 4:34 PM

    It is so nice to read about all the wonderful traditions! We even got a few ideas for new ones to add to ours. We look forward to checking back and reading about the Hanukah candle lighting and Christmas preparations. Happy Holidays!

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  30. Hello everyone. I am Jewish. So I do not celebrate Christmas. The only main tradition that we do is light the menorah every night for eight nights. Another tradition that my family does is that on Christmas day we all go to someones house and exchange gifts. Have a great holiday.

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    1. Sorry everyone.Nathan here. This is my post.

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  31. My family is Jewish, so we don't exactly partake in all of the Christmas customs, but we do have many holiday traditions! I love the holiday season, and one of the things my family like to do a lot is light a fire and sit by it watching TV or just talking. It gives our house a very cozy feeling. Another one of our traditions is making latkes, which are a Jewish food and are made during Hannukah. My Dad makes the potato pancakes after my mom and I bake batches of holiday cookies and my brother stays nearby, for none of us can resist the delicious smell of the cookies and latkes! These latkes are usually served at our family Hannukah party, where our whole family comes together to celebrate the Jewish holiday and spend time together. One last tradition is not between my family and I, but between one of my best friends. Every year around Christmas time we decorate gingerbread houses together with all sorts of goodies like gumdrops, M&Ms, icing, chocolate chips, and more. As pretty as our houses are, it's hard to to at least have one bite! I wish you all a merry christmas and happy hannukah!
    xoxo,
    Carly B.

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    1. Thanks for the comment Carly, sounds like you have many yummy traditions :-)

      Mrs. Levy

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  32. My family has tons of holiday traditions! Because I'm Jewish, doing a "secret Santa" game doesn't exactly work out, so we do what we call "secret Maccabees." Everyone in my family picks someone's name out of a hat and we buy them a present without telling anyone who's name we pulled. We also light the same Menorah every year. This menorah used to belong do my great grandma. It's been used since before my parents were even born. My favorite tradition, though, is cooking on the first night of Hanukkah with my Dad. I hope you all have happy, fun-filled holidays!
    -Ilana Degann :)

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    1. Hi Illy,
      My brothers and I do the secret Santa name drawing too.

      Thanks for the commment! Happy Hanukkah!

      Mrs. Levy

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  33. Hello everyone. My family is also jewish so we celebrate Hannukkah. We always go to my grandma and grandpa's house one night with the whole family. Every night we night the menorah until all eight candles are lit. I love the holidays! Everyone is in such a great mood and presents are always fun!
    xoxo,
    Kenna K

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  34. A yearly tradition in my family is to have my extended family comes over to decorate several hundred cookies that my grandma bakes earlier that morning. My grandma loves to bake and she bakes at every opportunity she has. We decorate cookies for several other holidays. For the past few years, friends come over to help us with the cookies and they always get to keep a few of them.
    Joe Wayne

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  35. I love the holidays! During winter break, my family and I go to San Francisco to see my cousins, aunt, and uncle. We also do such fun things with them! My family is Jewish, so every night we light the menorah and open presents. We always spend time with family and friends on the holidays! I hope you all have a amazing holiday and winter break..

    xoxo. Rebecca P

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  36. A tradition that we have at our house is decorating our christmas tree, whenever it arrives. There is an angel in a lawn chair, a baseball bat, and to top it off we have a huge plane ornament on top of the tree. It always looks amazing and i look foward to it every year.

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  37. I love the holidays! During winter break, my family and I go to San Francisco to see my cousins, aunt, and uncle. We also do such fun things with them! My family is Jewish, so every night we light the menorah and open presents. We always spend time with family and friends on the holidays! I hope you all have a amazing holiday and winter break..

    xoxo. Rebecca P

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  38. For my holiday week I tend to have a lot of family come over and it ends up being really fun chilling with them and socializing with many people I don't see often. Of course it is also great to enjoy the food that comes exclusive to the holidays. But the best of all must be the presents that I think everybody looks forward to. I hope you all enjoy your holidays and fun with your presents!

    -Joe Guss

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  39. I love the holidays! My family and I celebrate during new years, and its a blast! my favorite part is decorating the tree and making lots of food with my mom. We usually make this herring covered dish called shuba. a tradition we have is decorating almost everything with snowmen. The cuteness of the characters just warms the whole house.

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  40. We have lots of fun ways to celebrate the holidays. One of my favorites is to make cookies with Grandma that we leave for santa on Christmas Eve. Glad my grandma made it here in time to make them. The cookies must have helped because santa was good to my bother and me. Another one of my favorites is decoration our tree with ornaments that have special meaning- This year we got two new ones from the place where we spent our summer. With each new ornament we tell stories of great memories that we have had. It is fun to hear all the stories each year. I love the holidays. I miss them already!

    Dylan

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