Christmas is the biggest holiday, especially for us Catholics, as it represents the birth of Christ. Although people may think Christmas time is only during December, the 25th is just the start of the season. Audrey, a 7th grader, and myself both love the Christmas season, but we have slightly different traditions.

Christmas is Audrey’s favorite holiday because she gets a long break from school, so she is able to hang out with friends more and travel. She celebrates Christmas with her mom’s side of the family while celebrating New Years’ Eve with her dad’s side. Audrey stated, “My favorite part of the Christmas season is on Christmas day because I not only get presents, but I get to go to my aunts and uncles’ houses and see my little cousins’ faces when they open their presents.” She usually travels to Chicago or someplace close to see her family. Although she loves Christmas, she doesn’t like Christmas Eve because she can’t fall asleep knowing Christmas is coming. Other than going to see her family, the only other big tradition she has is putting up a Christmas tree.

Christmas is my favorite holiday for many of the same reasons: getting presents, getting off from school, and getting together with family. I usually celebrate Christmas at my own house, but we sometimes even go to visit my aunt in Minnesota a couple days after Christmas. One of my family’s traditions is going to Christmas Eve Mass and then opening presents after the mass. Although we usually have a Christmas tree, these past two years we haven’t had a Christmas tree because we threw away our old plastic one, but our presents were under our Nativity scene.

Overall, Christmas is one the best holidays for most people. Christmas is a great time of year for many people as it represents being with family, being charitable to the poor, and, of course, celebrating the birth of Jesus. Although the day has passed we are still in the Christmas season until the Sunday after Epiphany (January 6th) when the season will end with the Baptism of Jesus.