Throughout the years, the winter holiday season has always been a very special time for me. There are many different traditions on both sides of my family which I look forward to each year. 

One winter tradition my family has always done is what we call stocking notes. Every year we write a note for each member of our family and put it in each other’s stockings. The stockings are personalized to everyone in the family. We save the notes to look back at in future years and remember what everyone had written to us in past years. The notes say many things, but they usually consist of reminders of how much we value each other. I usually try to set goals in my notes to spend more time with each person in my family.

On my mom’s side, each year we celebrate one night of Hanukkah together at my grandparents’ house. This gathering is a really nice way to see the whole family again after not seeing them for a couple months. We light the candles, say prayers and eat traditional Hanukkah foods as well as some special family foods and desserts. For the meal, we eat latkes made by my aunt Erin, kugel made by my grandma, applesauce made by either my grandma or my dad, along with other dishes. For dessert there are a range of treats every year, from cookies, to brownies to my grandma’s banana bread.

On my Dad’s side, we go to my uncle Adam’s house for a party with family and close friends. Many of the people at the gathering I don’t see all year and this annual gathering is time to catch up. The food usually consists of latkes, cookies and brisket. When we were little, there was an annual hide and seek game with cousins and cousins of cousins.

A final tradition I celebrate with my family is the Luminary Loppet. The Loppet is a winter event held each year on frozen Lake of the Isles. The Loppet organization lights up the lake with ice sculptures and candles inside. Thousands of people ski and walk around the lake. A hot chocolate table, fire dancers and a concert stage make everything even more exciting. My family never tends to host big parties, but this event was the exception. Before the pandemic, each year on the night of the Luminary Loppet, we would host friends, family and neighbors alike. We would enjoy food and desserts, and once people had eaten they could make their way down to the lake. Even though we don’t have these parties anymore, going to the Loppet with my family has always been a tradition for us.

Spending time with the people in my life is really important to me. In the winter especially, the many traditions we celebrate each year are a special way to spend time with family and friends. I hope to have these traditions continue long into the future.