Christmas is the time of year when people spend more time with their families.

Each family has a little tradition that includes what the tree is wearing, what food is prepared, and where all the joy takes place. It's the holiday that people, including myself, prepare months in advance for. Heck, I was blasting Christmas music in my apartment in October!

Behind every laugh and smile, there is a story. Whether that story is sad or happy, it's there building your character. With every story, comes tradition. There is a certain way of doing something every year or every time. For example, when my friend Cassie and I go to the movies here in town, I always get my nachos and she always gets her pickle. It's tradition.

Bigger traditions usually occur with your family, as scattered as you all may be. Now, my tradition is little whacky, some say, but it's worth it. Some traditions are in your family for generations, but some start out of the blue.

In 2010 my grandfather unexpectedly passed away, and that's been something my family has struggled with. You see, he held our family together during the holidays. He had certain traditions that he did during the holidays. After he passed away, things changed because he was no longer there. No longer was our family gathering around at his home for Christmas.

This was hard for my family, and in a way still is, because now it means we had to find a new place to host Christmas. We tried a couple ways, but none seem to work. Except for one.

Now the younger generation in my family won't remember a time where Granddad was in charge of our Chinese Christmas game, or when he let you open a present as early as 4 days before Christmas - as long as he picked it out. They won't remember the sleepovers in the middle bedroom, where they would have gotten stuck with the pull out bed, and they won't remember having our family Christmas actually in December.

Remember when I said my tradition is whacky? We celebrate around Thanksgiving and call it Thanksmas. We gather around the time of Thanksgiving, with stockings hung and the tree decorated with care, and we embrace each other with love. What the younger generation is going to remember is how they threw the football in the backyard every year, and how right after we eat our Thanksgiving feast, there are presents ready to be opened.

The most important thing they will remember is how their cousins won't let them forget the time when their great-grandfather was alive. That time is still joyous and fondly remembered.

Although our traditions are whacky and unorthodox, it is still our tradition and I couldn't be happier. I still get to see my family yearly and see how much the younger generation is growing.

Do you and your family have any whacky traditions? Let me know in the comments!