Christmas has always been a time when my whole family, Garrett, Ellie, Daylan, and my parents get together, no matter what.
But this year seems different. My oldest brother, Garrett, is getting married next year, and we all know this is the last Christmas morning we will all be waking up together as his fiance lives in Altoona. My sister, Ellie, who shared a room with me, now has to fly home from North Carolina just to be here for Christmas. The traditions we’ve grown so accustomed to, now feel fragile; like everything is shifting, and we won’t have these special moments much longer. Since I’m a senior, this is the last year I’ll be able to wake up and check the advent calendar for what Santa left. I also will only be home for a short period before I’d have to go back to college. This year, I can’t stop thinking about how growing up means watching Christmas change, too.
Family Traditions:
When I was younger, December was a month filled with family traditions. We would go to our church and make gingerbread houses, that would sit on our counter all December. My mom still remembers waking up each morning and there would be more candy missing from it day after day that we would sneak, thinking she didn’t notice. Every morning we would eagerly wake up to see what little treat Santa left us by our advent calendar, if we were good the day before. But as the years go by, some of these traditions are starting to evolve. For instance, we typically visit Lancaster, where my mom’s family is, the day after Christmas and stay there for a few days. This year, we are going a couple of days before Christmas Eve, since, my 23-year-old sister, Ellie’s flight back to her home in North Carolina is on Christmas Day. Similarly, we usually get together at my dad’s parent’s house on Christmas night, but we’re going at lunchtime this year because Garrett’s fiance will be celebrating later in the day. Every morning after we would open up our presents and play with them, my parents would make us a huge breakfast. We had eggs, bacon, ham, Belgium waffles, pancakes, orange juice, egg nog, ect… This year will be different because we won’t be eating at my house, and we’ll be making breakfast at my grandparents’ house. Looking back now, I wish I soaked it in a little more last year, because it was our last normal family breakfast, and I didn’t even know it.
“It’s hard knowing that every year it’s going to get more challenging to bring everyone together,” my mom reflects. She’s become more intentional about carving out quality family time, saying, “I try to be mindful of not letting these moments pass us by.” She also encourages us to cherish these gatherings, reminding us that we never know how many more opportunities we’ll have to be together like this.
Garrett echoes her thoughts. “I am trying to cherish every moment,” he shares. “It’s important to step back and really appreciate the time I have with my family.” While the way we celebrate might be changing, the heart of the season, spending time with the people we love, remains as important as ever.
As the years pass and traditions shift, one thing remains constant: the love we share and the memories we create together. Though the details may change, dates, places, and routines, the heart of the season endures. It’s not the gingerbread houses, the breakfasts, or the gatherings themselves that make these moments special, but the people we share them with. So we hold on a little tighter, laugh a little longer, and cherish the time we have, because these fleeting moments, so easily taken for granted, are the ones we’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Importance of Being Together:
Spending the holidays together has always been super important to my family.
Christmas is a time when we can all take a break from work, school, and other responsibilities just to hang out and make memories. These moments are the ones we’ll look back on and cherish forever. Every Christmas Eve, when we’re settling down my three siblings and I choose a bedroom, and we’ll all lay on air mattresses and “sleepover” in one of our rooms, so we all wake up on Christmas morning together. Clearly, we’ve always made a point to be around each other during the holiday.
Now that we’re older, my mom says planning the holidays has gotten a lot harder. “It was so much easier when you were little,” she always tells us. Now she has to juggle our busy schedules, our significant others’ holiday plans, and time with the rest of the family.
Garrett, who just moved out, talks about how much he misses being home. “I miss my family,” he says. “It’s a big change not coming home to them like I’m used to.” Even though it has been tough, he’s trying to stay positive. “I’m learning to embrace this new opportunity to grow in my career and personal life, but I’ll always appreciate the time I had [as I was growing up] with my family at home.” Balancing holidays with multiple families isn’t easy, but Garrett says the key is “to be flexible and make the most of the time you have together.” Luckily, both our family and his fiance’s family are really understanding, which helps us all find time to be together.
As life changes and we grow older, the holidays remind us of what truly matters: being with the people we love. While the logistics may get more complicated and the traditions may evolve, the heart of the season stays the same. It’s in the laughter echoing through the house, the quiet moments spent together, and the effort we make to carve out time for one another. These are the memories we’ll hold onto, the ones that remind us no matter how far away life takes us, family will always be our anchor. So we embrace the changes, cherish the moments, and make the most of the time we have, because these are the moments that mean the most.
Future of Traditions:
Every year, my family makes a tradition of picking out our Christmas tree together, the day after Thanksgiving. We go to the same place at the relatively same time and it’s like clockwork now. It’s something my mom really wants us to keep doing and not let our business with school or work ruin it. She even hopes that one day, after all of the kids are married, we’ll still come together with our kids to help her and my dad pick out their tree. “It’d be such a fun way for our grandkids to make memories with their grandparents,” she says.
Garret and his fiance, Sylvia, both grew up in families with “very strong and positive traditions,” as Garrett puts it. Because of this, he says, “I plan to take my favorite traditions and she plans to take her favorite traditions, so we can carry them on together in the future.”
Traditions like picking out the Christmas tree may seem simple, but they hold the power to connect generations, creating memories that last a lifetime. As we grow and build families of our own, these moments become more than just routines, they become part of our story. Whether it’s continuing old traditions or blending them into new ones, the heart of it all remains the same: creating time to be together.
Personal Reflection:
This Christmas feels different. It’s the first year I’ve truly felt the weight of change. Growing up, Christmas was constant: advent calendars, gingerbread houses, trips to Lancaster, big breakfasts. But this year, everything is shifting.
Garrett is getting married, so this will be our last Christmas morning as just us four kids. Ellie has to fly home from North Carolina, and it’s my last Christmas before college changes everything for me, too. Traditions are shifting: we’re heading to Lancaster earlier this year, and even our big Christmas breakfast will take place somewhere new. Last year, I didn’t realize it would be the last “normal” one.
One of the hardest changes is knowing this will be our last Christmas Eve “sleepover.” Every year, my siblings and I would choose a room, pile onto air mattresses, and wake up together on Christmas morning, just like when we were little. It’s one of those traditions that feels so special because it brings us back to simpler times. Knowing this is the last time makes it even more important to soak it all in.
“I try to be mindful of not letting these moments pass us by,” my mom says. She’s right. Garrett echoes her: “I’m trying to cherish every moment.” Change is hard, but the heart of Christmas, spending time with the people we love, remains.
Our traditions may shift, but they won’t disappear. My mom hopes we’ll still pick out a Christmas tree together, even when we have our own kids. Garrett and Sylvia plan to carry on their favorite traditions, blending them into something new.
This year, I’m holding onto every moment. Growing up means realizing these fleeting memories are precious, and choosing to cherish them. Christmas will always be about being together, no matter how it changes.
How has Christmas changed for you as you grow up?
“I’m more excited to see family because my brother comes home from college.” ~Addi Sterrett ‘25
“My brother’s moved out now and the Christmas magic isn’t there anymore. My presents are now money, not fun gifts anymore.” ~Penelope Wetzel ‘25
“Now that everyone in my house knows the truth about Santa, I miss that excitement. I miss looking for my elf on the shelf, and then hiding it for my little brother when I got older. I also miss not being able to fall asleep on Christmas Eve and waking up at four in the morning.” ~Izzy Keslar ‘25
“I guess now I just pick what I get instead of being surprised. I also now have to buy stuff for my family with my own money.” ~Maria Angelicchio ‘25
“Now that I am older, I know the gifts my parents are getting me and I have to help pick out gifts for my siblings.” ~Coco Tuscano ‘25
“When I was younger, I used to get up at the crack of dawn to pester my parents, but now that I’m older, I appreciate the extra sleep.” ~Margaret Krom ‘26
“It’s still a fun time, lots of decorating and family visits. However, those visits get fewer and fewer as family moves on or moves away. Christmas is still a magical time of the year though.” ~Ava Zalewski ‘25
