We polled our bakers, customer service gnomies, and support staff to learn about the holiday traditions our team practices each year. Keep reading to learn more about our staff and maybe get inspired to try a new tradition with your own family and friends!
Catherine: When I was growing up, my grandfather would cook 1 meal a year, chili on Christmas Eve, so I still do this with my own kids and husband in his memory. We also watch the Muppet Christmas Carol.
Andrea: My husband's family always celebrated St. Nick's feast on Dec 6th by putting shoes out Dec 5th, and because we're always traveling on Christmas Day to see extended family, we decided that we would do the same tradition and make this our special "Christmas morning" with our kids. We wake the kids up extra early before school and they have socks filled with gifts. My daughter would always put both huge socks on her legs at the end and take a picture with her brother.
Claire: Every year my entire family exchanges ornaments! We’ve shipped them to family living across the country and world.
Catie: We don’t buy gifts but make them full of love instead. (This year, Catie made an AMAZING Nimbus 2000 for her Muddy’s Secret Santa!)Kirby: Ever since I was a baby, my two sisters and I sleep in my parents’ room on Christmas Eve. We are all older now and still keep it going!
Courtney: As a family, we pick a time to decorate the Christmas tree together. No matter how long the sad, naked tree stands there, my mom won’t allow it to be decorated until the ENTIRE family is together. We also always pick a Christmas movie (typically Christmas Vacation or Elf) to watch on Christmas Eve.
Cassie: There were lots of changes in my life growing up, so we didn’t have a lot of “traditions” over the years. But one thing that remained constant was my mother’s desire to keep the focus of the Christmas season on Jesus’ birth and the significance of his life and death. Every year before we unwrap presents, we slow down and read Luke 2 as a family to take a few moments to reflect on what we’re actually celebrating.
Annabeth: My favorite tradition growing up was Christmas morning breakfast. My dad uses lard to make homemade cathead biscuits with chocolate gravy. We stay in our pajamas and watch Christmas movies all day!
Shallena: My favorite tradition is staying up late with my husband on Christmas Eve, listening to Christmas music and setting up gifts for the next morning. Then the look of our kids’ faces when they come downstairs on Christmas morning is priceless!
Alyssa: Besides baking and eating a million cookies, we each buy and wrap a silly $1 gift, and on Christmas Eve we all go to my grandma’s house and read aloud the Night Before Christmas. Everytime the word “a” or “the” is said, we pass our gift to the person to our left or right, and open them all at the end! Last year, my grandpa ended up with a pink, glittery princess crown.
Viv: Every year, my brother and I wake up early (like 7AM… that’s early for us!) and wake up our parents to open gifts. Then we go back to sleep for a while. In the afternoon, we all wear our new Christmas gifts and head to the movies.
