Christmastime is full of feasting, family, and generosity. For some people, it may be the only time all year when they see their relatives. For others, it can be a difficult season full of mixed emotions.
However one may feel during the Christmas season, many people have traditions they participate in during the holiday season.
The employees of the WDN are no different. Here is what Christmas looks like for us. Maybe some of our traditions are similar to those of your family.
McKenzi Mayfield, Graphic Design
McKenzi always left cookies for Santa, and her family put oranges in her stockings. “Christmas makes me feel closer to my family. It reminds me how much we all love each other, even if we don’t get to see each other often.”
Trinity Mendez, Graphic Design
Trinity and her siblings got to bring their close friends to the family gathering on Christmas Eve, and Trinity’s mother would give everyone one gift to open. It would be a pair of pajamas, and they would wear them to bed and then open the rest of their gifts while wearing them the next morning. “I always feel excited getting to see everybody. And I like surprises.”
Montgomery Malone, City Editor
Montgomery has a tradition of going to his grandparents’ house and opening gifts that night., “Christmas makes me feel good because it’s time I spend with family, and I get to give. I like seeing others open presents more than I like to get them.”
Josh Burton, Managing Editor
As a kid, Josh went to his grandparents’ house and opened gifts on Christmas Eve with the whole family. “It was one of the few times a year I got to see my cousins. You got to see the joy in peoples’ faces. I see that with my daughter.”
Kiersten Stone, Lifestyles Editor
Kiersten and her family always celebrated Christmas with her grandparents and received an apple and orange in their stockings from their nana.
“I enjoy getting that break from everyday life and feeling the excitement of the holiday season while it also makes me feel very appreciative of the time I get to spend with my family and friends.”
Kimberly Lippencott, Staff Writer
Kimberly and her family have a tradition of reading the Christmas story from Luke before opening any gifts, and she and her brothers take turns reading from the Bible each year. “Christmas makes me feel so joyful. Celebrating Jesus’ birth, giving gifts, and being with family are all so good. It’s also fun to be married now and make traditions with my husband.”
Karrie Buller, Accounting
Karrie always went to her grandmother’s house on Christmas Day. “It made me feel very happy,” she said.
Jenna Zuniga, Accounting
Christmas for Jenna looks a little different each year, and she is always busy running around to the many different family gatherings with her son, and giving him gifts is important to her. “I love it. We want Jay to know that we make sure he gets big gifts, not Santa. Santa will give him smaller things.”
Teresa Wardoll, Accounting
Teresa and her siblings lived with her grandparents, and all the family would gather there for Christmas and a big dinner. No one was allowed to open any gifts until every dish was washed and put back in the cabinet. “We were so excited. Kids always get excited to open their gifts.”
Phillip Reid, Publisher
As a child, Phillip’s mother went over-the-top preparing craft projects for the family to make together. She would stay up all night sewing pajamas for the family and coming up with creative ways to make Christmas special. “It was an adventure.
She would plan for days, and we stayed busy doing things like that before Christmas. With my own kids, we always decorated sugar cookies. There’s a recipe we like.”
Kali Hill, Receptionist
Kali’s family gathers together and makes pfeffernusse, a German cookie. Her grandma also gives everyone a new pair of house shoes. “Christmas is my favorite. It makes me happy, thankful, and grateful.”
Ashley Adams, Digital Media
As a child, Ashley always got a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve to sleep in and wear on Christmas Day. “I like Christmas more now as an adult and watching my kids open gifts.”
John Cook, Composition
John and his family had some of the usual traditions, and they always had stockings. “We were a big family, and there would always be something like 25 people in my grandparents’ house for Christmas.”
Pamela Lencioni, Marketing
Pam and her kids always make “reindeer food” full of glitter, oatmeal and chocolate chips for Santa’s reindeer. “Christmas makes me feel very grateful and humbled. I didn’t really have it as a kid, so I go overboard for my kids.”
Scott Duran, Marketing
As a child, Scott and his family gathered in Weatherford for their Christmas. “I’m thankful and grateful for the time that we spent together. It is incredible to have had that time in my life.”
Taylor Hinojosa, Marketing
Taylor and the adults in her family always draw names at Thanksgiving for a gift exchange and they try to give a gift that would be really special for that person. “Christmas makes me feel complete. It’s fun to watch the kids open presents, but the gifts don’t really matter. Being around all my family is the best gift of all.”