Tis the season for finals and family across the USA. While we’re all excited to kick back for a few weeks between semesters, we all celebrate the holidays differently. Her Campus Pitt gathered some of the unique traditions from students around campus for a sample of the diversity in our student body. Some have been edited for clarity.
“We have a vaulted ceiling, so we usually buy 13’-14’ Christmas trees. We need a giant ladder to decorate the tree. We have a special ceramic, glossed ornament that looks just like a real pickle. When my siblings and I were younger, one of my parents used to climb the ladder when we weren’t around and hang the pickle deep within the tree somewhere. It then became a game amongst my brother, sister and I to see who could find the pickle, and once you found it you couldn’t say anything. It usually resulted in one lame person not being able to find it. Also, massive over-sized oranges to top off our stockings.” -Evan E.
“We always have orange juice with sherbet with our Christmas dinner. No idea why but we’ve always done it!” -Macy D.
“My family and I drive around our neighborhood just before bed listening to Christmas music and looking at all the Christmas lights” -Katie O.
“My mom and I play a funny Christmas CD from over a decade ago with songs like ‘Grandma got run over by a Reindeer’ and she makes Cinnabons Christmas morning before I wake up. With the family, play a game where everyone has a gift card and we read a three-page long Christmas story and every time the word right or left is said, we pass our gift card that direction around the table.” -Andrew K
“My dad always makes a big full breakfast on Christmas morning (waffles, biscuits, sausage, the works) and my mom’s favorite movie is elf so we watch that. My mom is also obsessed with Hallmark movies so those or Christmas music is all that is on during December.” -Sarah C
“On Christmas Eve, my family has kielbasa and latkes, and it’s one of my favorite meals. Also, on Christmas Eve, my brothers and I each get to open a ‘present’ that has our Christmas pajamas!” -Mariah R
“We eat around like 9 pm, not sure if it’s a Christmas thing or a Hispanic thing though.” -Erika C
“We go to my grandparent’s house in Connecticut and my cousin’s house on Christmas eve and have tons of food. Then we attend mass at midnight, wake up and open presents and then we have the seven fishes dinner.” -Mia S
“Every Christmas Eve my three sisters and myself are allowed to open each other’s presents after dinner.” -Cassie W
“Coffee cake for breakfast.” -Ed T
“Our family used to always send Christmas cards with pics of my sister on it, lately it’s been a total joke. This one from senior year is my favorite.” -Evan K
“My family and I always make the traditional Italian seven fishes dinner on Christmas Eve and open presents together” -Maria P
“Because we are German, my family and I eat a goose for dinner and open all of our presents on Christmas Eve” -Corinne H
There you have it! All our amazing traditions. Thank you to those who shared and have a great holiday season!