Family Holiday Traditions

We were asked to share some of our winter holiday traditions at work. Heres's what I shared:


My Family Holiday Traditions are celebrated at my Grandmother's house in Mexico. Some of the traditional family celebrations for the winter holidays that my family takes part in are:

- Piñatas: Both on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, our family will have piñatas in the shapes of stars. We fill them up with candy and sometimes add some dollar bills. Both kids and adults partake.

- Gift Giving: Gift giving in our family is mainly for the children. Only some adults, aunts mainly, are the ones that may give gifts to their brothers/sisters and are usually handmade items like scarfs, hats, buñuelos, personalized/embroidered items like towels or jars with trinkets in them, etc.

- Loteria: Because we do not do big gift exchanges, on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, we get together and play loteria(Mexican bingo). Some family members will bring wrapped items that vary from chocolates, Avon, house items, etc. Some years we have had just one big loteria day on New Year's Day.

- Corsages: A variety of handmade corsages are made by my mother or one of my aunts and everyone gets to choose theirs on Christmas Eve. Aunts, uncles, children all get one.

- Traveling Canasta: My grandmother started this tradition of filling up a huge basket with snack items from soda, chips, cookies, etc. I couldn't tell you when but definitely before I was born(1980) as we have been doing that for as long as I can remember. She would stuff the basket with as much as could fit in it for Christmas. Then everyone's name is put in a bowl and one person wins the basket. The person that wins the basket on Christmas then refills the basket with new items for New Year's and again the names go in a bowl for a winner. The winner then returns the basket to my grandmother for the following year. My grandmother passed away in 2007, so now the traveling basket is continued by my aunts.

- Posada and Rosary: Christmas Eve is the day my family gets together to celebrate begin the Christmas celebrations. It starts with a praying the rosary and then we do the posada. The men go outside with candles and a sheet with the verses to sing and the women stay inside. We do the different stages starting on one door and ending on the other. Once we are let in then dinner begins. 

- Nativity scene: The nativity scene is finished by the youngest member of the family. The youngest person carries the baby Jesus and everyone gives a kiss to both. Once everyone has done this then the baby Jesus is placed in the Nativity Scene.

- New Year's Eve and Day: On New Year's Eve, our family gets together for a late dinner. When the clock strikes at midnight, we all cheer to each other and drink our Champagne. We also eat 12 grapes, each symbolizing the coming 12 months, and make a wish for each of those months as we eat each grape. After this, we all hug and wish each other a Happy New Year.  

- Dia de Los Reyes: On January 6th we celebrate Dia de los Reyes(Kings Day/Little Christmas), although most of the family is back to their routines, there will be a Rosca de Reyes(a sweet bread) that everyone can come by and get a piece of. A baby Jesus is baked in the bread and whoever gets the piece with the baby is supposed to do a dinner/celebration on el Dia de la Candelaria(Candlemass) which is on February 2nd.

11 of 12: If you can't volunteer...

If you can't volunteer, whatever the reason, you can always donate. Throughout the year there are many opportunities to give back by donating. I personally have donated food and clothing items throughout the year. Now, whether you participate in a food or clothing drive; a blood drive, etc. and regardless of how much you donate, it will make a difference.

Heres's a short list of places that can benefit from your donation:

- St Mary's Food Bank Alliance

- United Food Bank

- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

- American Red Cross

- Arizona Humane Society

- Arizona Animal Welfare League and SPCA



Although I may have volunteered for several events throughout the year, the nearing of the end of it makes me reflect back on what all I have done to give back; and there's always the feeling that I could have done more.

9 and 10 of 12: Christmas Tree at Phoenix Children's Hospital

Ornament Extravaganza!!! That was the title I created for a series of volunteer events at work to create ornaments, leading up to the setting up of a Christmas tree at the Phoenix Children's Hospital.

Several weeks back I received an e-mail from the PCH who was looking for groups or companies to help decorate a number of Christmas trees. The groups would donate the decorations for them and decorate the tree on the first Saturday of December, with a special request, if able, to donate the tree to go along with the decorations, as some of the current trees they have were starting to look old.

 After bringing up this event as a volunteer opportunity to my work group, and with budget to spend before the end of the year, I was given the green light to make the arrangements to participate. In addition to this event, we decided to create an on-site volunteer event tied to this. So up came the 'Ornament Extravaganza' to create handmade ornaments that would adorn the tree.

With the help of a few people I was able to get everything needed for the on-site volunteer event; from the  supplies to sending out communications in addition to getting the needed conference room booked and secured for three days. And so, from November 30th to December 2nd, we handcrafted, from kits, some of the ornaments for the tree.


On Saturday, December 4, 2010, a team of volunteers from work got together to help setup one of the many Christmas trees that are set up around the Phoenix Children's' Hospital. It was a great turnout and we had a great time decorating the tree.

Here's Some more photos: