With the holiday frenzy coming up, everyone from students to staff have a holiday story to tell including traditions. My family, in particular, is something you could compare to the Griswold’s. From the station wagon that my grandfather owns to the big family, we’ve got the whole nine yards.

Every year, my mom’s side of the family decides that we make a homemade popular Italian pasta called Gnocchi for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Things get quite messy with the throwing of flour across the table, spilling eggnog and dropping pasta dough on the floor.

This year is different though. I wasn’t able to make the pasta since I wasn’t home. It was very recent when my family wanted to change our tradition and make ravioli instead of the beloved gnocchi.

Before Thanksgiving my family tried to have a poll in the family group chat, but that didn’t go over so well. Back and forth arguments over whether we should make gnocchi or ravioli. In the end, gnocchi won since neither my older cousin nor I are home anymore.

It sucks that we aren’t there to partake in our old traditions, but it makes it worthwhile when we all get together the times that we can since I am four hours away and my older cousin now lives in Texas.

Another tradition around Christmas time that I’m excited to partake in is my stepmom and I always remake and lip sync to funny holiday songs and send them back and forth to my aunt in Arizona.

One particular song I remember the most is “Who Spiked The Eggnog.” It’s one of our favorites. My stepmom and I were about to start recording when I realized that we didn’t have any eggnog in the house, so my mom made a mixed concoction. 

During Christmas, all of the cousins decide to wear matching pajamas when we celebrate instead of being uncomfortable and dressed up. I would say we are definitely the type of family who likes to be comfortable for anything, especially if we are going to eat.

Every year my grammy and cousins get together and we bake cookies for our family. Some cookies that we make are peanut blossoms and snowballs. Our favorite cookies to make of all time are Italian cookies anise and lemon with the homemade Italian frosting. Every year my cousin and I battle to see who licks the bowl or the spatula. Last year my cousin definitely won the bowl but hopefully this year I win.

These traditions over the years have shaped me into who I am. It’s safe to say that when I am older these traditions will keep on going even when everyone is gone because traditions never die.

– Kiara Wood