Like a lot of families, my family really loves the holiday season. It is special to us because of our Christian faith and because it also gives us a chance to gather with our family and friends that we do not always get to see throughout the year. What family traditions do we have at our family Christmas that might be different from other families?

We are one of those families that put up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. If not, typically before December 1, the Christmas tree is up. We all gather in the living room and put up the tree and many other decorations throughout the house. (Sometimes we have up to three trees in the house.) Christmas music is playing in the background of course to get us in the Christmas spirit.

One of my all time FAVORITE Christmas traditions is making, and of course eating, all the cookies that are made. Some of the recipes we use have been passed down for years through generations. Most recipes are still handwritten on note cards and kept in the recipe box. My mom, Nana and I always get together for a day or two and bake all our favorite cookies. We laugh and make memories every year in the kitchen while baking all our favorite holiday cookies. Some family favorites are:

- Chocolate Chip (of course)

- Snickerdoodles

- Peanut Butter Blossoms

- Italian Wedding Cookies

- Pizzelles

Other than all the cookies, the food is my favorite part of Christmas. We have special foods on Christmas and Christmas Eve night. On Christmas Eve night we have fish. This tradition originated in Italy, of course. When waves of immigrants made their way from Italy to America, they brought their cherished traditions with them too (The Feast of the Seven Fishes.) We don't do all seven anymore because no one likes all that "stinky" fish. We have tuna sauce with pasta, shrimp and sometimes smelts. On Christmas Day, we always start off with a breakfast strata. My mom has been making it for years and I started to really love it after all these years. Now, dinner is where the real feast is at. We have wedding soup, ham, cavatelli with meatballs, sausage, brazole pineapple casserole, salad and many other side dishes.

Of course, my family and I go to church on Christmas morning. After church, my family and cousins all gather at Nana's and Papa's for all this delicious food. After dinner begins, there is the long marathon of cleaning up the kitchen before we open up the gifts. After the gifts are all opened and pictures are taken, it is time to indulge in the mountains of cookies and desserts made-- my favorite part.

What are some of your favorite family holiday traditions?