Unwrapping holiday traditions

Christmas caroling, baking cookies, re-watching “The Grinch” for the thousandth time – everyone has their holiday traditions they return to year after year.

 

For many, the ideal Christmas involves delicious recipes, decking the halls and finding that perfect gift. For others, it’s time spent with loved ones. 

 

Here, some local readers from Cainhoy/Clements Ferry and Daniel Island share how they make merry during the holiday season. 

 

Sharon Lancaster

“Our Elf on the Shelf, Chuckles, has been visiting us from the North Pole since the kids were little. He has even delivered notes and letters to Santa Claus! One time he burnt his cheek on a lightbulb, so he had to be put back in his box to go to the North Pole to be fixed! He still visits us during Christmas, he just doesn’t move around or hide as much. Chuckles must be getting tired!” 

 

Carol Kendall

“We have been in South Carolina for 36 years and the James Island County Park Festival of Lights has been on the top of the list of things to do at Christmas. I started collecting the ornaments in 1993, and have each year since then. Every fall, we load up the children and now grandchildren and head down to James Island. We always ride the train and the carousel, drink hot chocolate and roast marshmallows and hotdogs over the fire. Our family hasn’t missed a year since 1993; even during COVID they let us drive through. Pictured is my first ornament from 1993: The Grace Memorial.”

 

Kristine Piret

“This is my favorite time of the year! We do our annual pierogi- making day in our Christmas pajamas, making them from scratch to eat on Christmas Eve, along with our other traditional foods: oplatki, shrimp cocktail, mushroom soup, poppy seed and nut bread. Last year we made 256!”

 

Michael Stisi

“Making our favorite cookies with the family, and eating them of course.”

 

Laura Valentina Osorio

“On Little Candles Day, Dec. 7, we light a candle for everything we are grateful for this year, and ask for another new thing for the next year. This is Latino tradition.”

 

Megan Flowers

“When my cousin Claudia was 13 years old, it was her first Christmas with us and she wanted to do something special. She came up with the idea of all of us drawing names and writing letters to each other, to whoever drew that person’s name. Then we would take turns reading them on Christmas. We’ve done it ever since, even after Claudia passed away in 2018. The letters are worth more than anything you could buy from a store. We read them each year before opening gifts and we always laugh and cry after looking forward to it all year. They are always heartfelt and dashed with silliness, too. I would unequivocally say that it is the most special gift we receive in our family. This will be year 10 of the tradition. Our letters mean the world to us, and we’ll keep them forever.”

 

Scott Strandberg Sr.

“Santa arriving on a firetruck.”

 

Allison Masters

“My daughter Sophia (middle) invites friends every year to decorate holiday cupcakes. I give them ideas, supplies and samples to copy, and they get creative.”

 

Kelly Marie Berens 

“Gingerbread house competition with my cousins!”