Holiday Survey As a special treat for the holidays we asked a simple question and received a wide range of answers in return. The holidays bring out different things for different people and our authors and illustrators are no exception. Their responses depict a time deeply rooted in tradition, thankfulness, and most of all, family. Happy holidays and have a peaceful new year. How do you celebrate the holidays and what do they mean to you? |
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NEW Responses for 2007 |
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NEW! George Ancona "I love to party; so holidays are an opportunity to be joyous. My family is scattered, but we do try to get together when we can. My children, grandchildren, and now great grandchildren are living on both coasts, and we're in New Mexico. Friends are an extension of my family, so when holidays roll around, there are meals, music, dancing, and of course lots of hugs and kisses. For Christmas, luminarias, which are candles in paper bags, line the walls and roofs of houses. On Christmas Eve friends, neighbors, and visitors stroll Canyon Road, one street that is completely lined with thousands of luminarias. Bonfires are surrounded by carolers to keep warm. Then we go home to have our Christmas dinner. When the kids were little I would make a structure out of a large refrigerator carton. Every year it was different. Once it was a fort. In other years, there were helicopters, trains, submarines, and tug boats. This structure would be placed alongside the gifts and Christmas tree. On Christmas morning, the kids would come racing down to open their presents and take over the box. They would put sleeping bags in them and sleep there. A few months later, the box would begin to collapse. Eventually it would be folded up and taken to the dump. And so on to next year!" –George Ancona is the author and photographer of Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art! |
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NEW! Lynne Barasch "The holidays mean family, the time when we all get together. Thanksgiving is always at our house. We cook for two days and hope for clear weather so the kids, grandchildren, and my husband, the perennial boy, can play touch football on the lawn. This year at the holiday table when we take turns telling what each of us is most thankful for, I will say, 'I am most thankful (yay) that the last of my girls is getting married!' Christmas and Hanukkah are both now part of our holidays as two of my daughters, one engaged and the other married, have Christian counterparts. My eldest daughter married a Jewish person. We are now officially multicultural. New Year's Eve for us is a quiet event. We usually have dinner late with friends and watch the ball fall in Times Square on TV." –Lynne Barasch is the author and illustrator of Hiromi's Hands and Knockin' On Wood: Starring Peg Leg Bates |
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NEW! Ellie Crowe "I love the whole idea of Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday. It's fun to remember the story of the first Thanksgiving and to sit around a table with family and friends and list what we're thankful for. Also, Thanksgiving is such a relaxing holiday. All one really has to do is eat. No one has to buy presents, and precooked turkey dinners are just fine with me!" –Ellie Crowe is the author of Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku |
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NEW! Edith Hope Fine "Memories flood in as grandkids help decorate the tree with ornaments from years past. We make gingerbread houses–kids, friends, neighbors: pretzel fences, cotton 'smoke' for chimneys, powdered sugar snow. Messy but so much fun! Being a recycler, I wrap gifts in the funny papers. Every year I read books like The Bird's Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin. What I know now is the importance of building simple traditions, keeping family stories alive, and remembering dear folks no longer with us." –Edith Hope Fine is the co-author of Armando and the Blue Tarp School and the author of Under the Lemon Moon |
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NEW! Judith Pinkerton Josephson "I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they mean family and friends to me. My memories of Thanksgiving all have to do with food preparation, especially the turkey stuffing. This year my daughter and I had great fun preparing the different dishes. The stuffing brought me back to times when my mother, grandmother, and I stood around the metal kitchen table and prepared the stuffing in the big ceramic bowl I still use. I love to decorate for Christmas, and since I now have an artificial tree, the decorations go up shortly after Thanksgiving. Ornaments from the past or ones friends have hand-made are treasured objects. On Christmas Eve, our family goes out to dinner, then to the Midnight Mass, where I sing in the choir. Christmas Day is usually spent at home, unwrapping presents, doing things together, and having Christmas dinner. The only thing I don't like about the holidays is taking down the decorations. And since I live in Southern California, I do miss snow (but not for long)." –Judith Pinkerton Josephson is the co-author of Armando and the Blue Tarp School |
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NEW! Pat Mora "Our family enjoys the opportunity to be together during the holidays. We try to de-emphasize the importance of gifts and to focus on visiting and laughing together and being grateful. Good food and good books are always part of our holidays." –Pat Mora is the author of Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico! Americas’ Sproutings, Confetti: Poems for Children, and the editor of Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers |
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NEW! G. Neri "I've lived in California and now Florida my whole life, so I've never had a white Christmas. But the holidays are really about being with people you care for. I try not to get caught up in the hype. I prefer to do all my shopping online and refuse to enter a mall in the month of December. Recently, instead of gifts, I've been making donations or buying farm animals for families in third world countries (heifer.org) in the name of the person I'm giving to. I come from a Creole and Mexican background, so for holiday food, its either homemade Gumbo or Tamales for Christmas, which can be an all-day event. Either way, it's all good fun." –G. Neri is the author of Chess Rumble |
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NEW! Jesse Joshua Watson "In my family, we celebrate Christmas, but love to learn about other religions' celebrations, like Eid'ul-Adha and Hanukkah. I try to remember to read my family the first few chapters in Matthew to bring back the origin of the holiday. Even though I am sure that the nativity story did not happen in a Bavarian surrounding to a Caucasian family in the dead of winter, I still believe in the essence of the story. We like to focus on the birth of Jesus and try to reflect on the suffering people in the world, instead of filling our days with greed and indulgence. With my kids, it is hard to just ignore the whole 'present' thing, both because it is such a tradition in our society but also because I love giving my kids treats. So, we have Santa stories and stockings and the traditions we were raised with (although we usually use a palm or bamboo or some funky tree to decorate). But more than that surface 'stuff' we celebrate the birth of Jesus and what that means to us, which is justice and compassion for all people, love for your friends and enemies, and most of all gratitude to God for the life we live. Peace to you and your family during the holidays, no matter which holiday you celebrate." –Jesse Joshua Watson, is the illustrator of Chess Rumble |
How do you celebrate the holidays and what do they mean to you? |
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Davida Adedjouma "Holidays are family times. But I've moved away from my family–my son and his wife live in Chicago, my grandkids live in Minnesota, and my father and stepmother live in Chicago. It's a lot of traveling, and a whole lot of eating. But it's the only way to see everybody. So I'll be in the air a lot. Everyone cooks tons of food: turkey, chicken, shrimp, crabs, pigs feet, greens, and macaroni and cheese. And loads of desserts. We spend part of Thanksgiving at church. We will spend Christmas Eve at church. And we will see the New Year in at church. After returning home from services, we get into the loosest, stretch clothes we can find, eat, play cards, and watch TV." –Davida Adedjouma is a contributing poet to In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall, and the editor of The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children |
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Jeannine Atkins "Family gathers at our house for lots of cooking, eating, goofing around, singing, and drawing new pictures on our plastic tablecloth. It's fun. It's noisy. By the time evening comes, I'm ready for some quiet and tell everyone that I have to walk the dogs. Sometimes someone comes along; sometimes I go alone. I love the dark, starry sky. In my life there have been some merry Christmases and some sad ones. Either way, the evening sky brings me peace." –Jeannine Atkins, is the author of Get Set! Swim! and Aani and the Tree Huggers |
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Chih-Wei Chang "I like to work on holidays and rest on the following day; this makes me feel secure." –Chi-Wei Chang is the illustrator of Baby Born |
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R. Gregory Christie "I really don't make much of a fuss over the holidays any more, but I usually watch the animated movies and visit friends." –Gregory Christie is the illustrator of Brothers in Hope, Richard Wright and the Library Card, The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children, Deshawn Days, and Love to Langston |
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John Coy "I live in Minnesota so I make sure to celebrate the winter solstice–the darkest night of the year. Each solstice a group of friends gathers outside in a park and we build a large fire. People gather around the fire for warmth and sing songs and recite poetry. We heat apple cider and think about the year to come and the things we would like to have happen. It's a reflective time, but also one of celebration because after the solstice, each day gets a little bit lighter." –John Coy is the author of Around the World and Strong to the Hoop |
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Sally Derby "When our children were young, we celebrated the Advent season by putting the names of everyone in the family, adults and children alike, in a small basket. Each person then drew the name of someone else, keeping the name drawn a secret. We did this each of the four Sundays in Advent. For the following week you were to treat the person whose name you drew the way the Christ child would have done–doing anonymous small favors, displaying love and forgiveness, and so on. The following Sunday night after reading from the Bible and singing a carol or two, each person would state who he guessed had acted as Christ child to him. The children loved the guessing part and it was a mark of honor to hear, 'It had to be you, because you’ve been nice to me all week,' or 'you didn’t laugh when I spilled my milk all over me.' Then it was time to draw names for the next week. I am glad to say that my grandchildren are happily following the same tradition." –Sally Derby is the author of My Steps |
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Susan Middleton Elya "Holidays are very big in my family. My mother made every holiday a major production, even Valentine's Day (we always got candy and underwear). I've tried to make holidays big for my children and my husband who didn't have many celebrations in his childhood. They are something to look forward to and a way to mark the passing of time for my youngest." –Susan Middleton Elya is the author of Say Hola to Spanish, Say Hola to Spanish Otra Vez (Again) and Say Hola to Spanish at the Circus, and Home at Last |
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D.H. Figueredo "The holidays are extremely important for my family and we do whatever we must do to celebrate them and get together with family members, in this case, the grandparents (most of our relatives are still in Cuba). We celebrate Noche Buena on the 24th. We eat white rice, black beans, and ham accompanied by a couple of glasses of red wine–something from Spain, usually. For dessert, we eat a variety of 'turrones,' (Spanish nougats that are available only during December), a Spanish version of a fruit cake, figs, and nuts. All day long, we listen to Cuban music, like Ernesto Lecuona's songs and compositions, danzon music from the 40's and 50's (we're not into salsa which is really more of an American development), as well as songs from Spain, since all of us have Spanish ancestry. During the day, we play dominoes and drink Cuba Libres (rum and coke). The children take up the Coca Cola cause and drink a lot of the soda, something not allowed during the year. They also play dominoes with us–a tradition they've picked up. During the evening, grandfather Abuelo–my father-in-law–tells us wonderful stories from his childhood. My mother and mother-in-law tend to sing along with the CD's. It's a beautiful time. Then off to bed and in the morning, we open the gifts from Santa Claus. In Cuba, when I was little, my father did whatever was necessary to get from Havano to Santiago–the other end of the island–so that we could be with my maternal grandmother and my five aunts and uncles. One time, during the Revolution, there was sabotage on the tracks so that not all the trains were running. We packed into one train and made it to the Noche Buena Celebration at about 11 PM. My mother hugged all of us and then she served the main meal (she waited until the very last second so that we could all eat together). " –D.H. Figueredo is the author of When this World Was New and The Road to Santiago |
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Matthew Gollub "To my mind, holidays are just that–holy. So I try to spend them on my most cherished activities: reading, writing, making music, and sharing good times with people I love." –Matthew Gollub is the author and Japanese translator of Cool Melons – Turn to Frogs! The Life and Poems of Issa and Ten Oni Drummers |
How do you celebrate the holidays and what do they mean to you? |
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Christy Hale "I go nuts making a gazillion Christmas projects. It drives everyone around me mad, but I love holidays! I enjoy the music, decorations, food, presents, and especially the sharing with family and friends." –Christy Hale is the illustrator of Elizabeti’s Doll, Mama Elizabeti, Elizabeti's School and Sky Dancers |
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Crystal Hubbard "I usually spend the holidays running around in a frenzy of activity. My son's school participates in a gift-giving program with The Home For Little Wanderers, which is based in Boston, so for most of December, I scurry around trying to shop for children that I'll never get to meet. That's usually the most exciting part of my holiday season–the chance to be Santa. Every child should get the one thing they really want for Christmas. Last year, I ended up making an owl costume for a 9-year-old. I also try to create as much magic as possible for my own children. We sit down together to write letters to Santa. I still write to Santa, and so far I'm batting .500 in terms of getting what I ask for, although I continue to hold out for World Peace. We also make a lot of the gifts we give for Christmas. This year we're going to do chocolate-dipped dried fruits and pretzels. One of the most fun things we do on Christmas Eve is climb into our van, pick up a pizza, and drive around at night to look at the Christmas lights. Some of the houses near us are so overly decorated, I'm sure the space shuttle calls them up from orbit to say, 'Hey, do you think you can dim your house a little bit?' But those houses are the most fun to view. On Christmas Day, the whole family descends upon my husband's aunts' house for dinner. Cousin Andrea prepares a feast that gets better and better each year. Everyone eats until they can't hold any more, then we exchange presents, and then we sit down to at least ten different desserts. The holidays wouldn't be happy at all if they weren't spent with my husband and children at 'the aunts'.'" –Crystal Hubbard is the author of Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream |
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Patricia Hubbell "For many years (almost 70!) I celebrated all the holidays at my childhood home. My Dad lived to be almost 100, and he and Mom LOVED holidays. After Mom died, Dad kept on having holiday celebrations. He raised Christmas trees as well as running an orchard, and every year he would leave the tree up to see how long it would hold its needles. Once it made it into March! Nowadays, I celebrate the holidays at various places. Hanukkah at my daughter's, Christmas here at home, Thanksgiving at my nephew's. Who knows where. But wherever the celebration is, it's always full of great food, talk, and at my daughter's wonderful music as she and her husband are both professional musicians and their children are musicians, too!" –Patricia Hubbell is the author of Black All Around! |
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Cindy Karp "Since I live in Miami and my family lives in the west, I always get together with a group of friends for Thanksgiving dinner. We've become known as the Orphan's Thanksgiving Club. We all bring dishes and invite any friend or relative who might be in town. We've enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with people from as far away as Japan, Peru and Spain. Because of the beautiful weather in Miami this time of the year, we now have friends who travel here just to join us." –Cindy Karp is the photographer of Everglades Forever: Restoring America's Great Wetland |
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Patricia Keeler "When my husband, Francis, was a little boy, his grandmother came at Christmas with a tin of Great Grandmother Gera's Almond Crescent Christmas Cookies. But Francis was the oldest of 11 kids–and there was only one tin, so you had to be quick to the tin to get any cookies at all! Francis decided then and there that when he grew up he would make Great-Grandmother Gera's Almond Crescent Cookies for everybody in his family, so our special tradtion is to make hundreds of these cookies! We give each person in the family their own bag of crescent cookies–from my 94 year old father to my 4 month old grandniece. We ship them all over the country! Here is the 100 year old recipe so you can make some too: GREAT GRANDMOTHER GERA'S ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES 1/2 lb butter 1/2 lb fine ground almonds 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup granulated sugar Cream butter and sugar. Add almonds. Add flour. Add vanilla. Mix by hand. Place a handful of dough on a floured board. Roll out a log of this mixture about 1 inch in diameter. Cut off 1/2 inch slices. Roll small crescent shapes from the slices. Place crescents on a buttered cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Then dust with powdered sugar while still warm. Eat em' up and happy holidays! –Patricia Keeler is the author of Drumbeat in Our Feet |
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Susan Keeter "Like many, my childhood holidays were divided among my mother and stepfather, father and stepmother, grandparents, etc. My stepmother, who came into my life when I was nine, gave me the wild and wonderful holidays I dreamed of -- house crammed with people, tables loaded with homemade desserts, people laughing. My stepfather, whom I loved deeply, brought a soberness to holidays that bordered on gloom. My mother and stepfather’s house was beautiful and quiet and not terribly fun on holidays. When I was twenty or so, my stepfather was driving me back to my apartment after some tedious family dinner, and told me that his grandmother had died at Christmas when he was a little boy. It was the early 1920s, and they were Irish Catholics, which meant Christmas decorations torn down, everything covered in black cloth, and an open casket in the living room. It made such sense. My stepfather, hardly a 'partier,' but a thoughtful, interesting, friendly person, could not forget that tremendous sadness and loss. My stepfather was a lifeboat during my painful teenaged life, assuring me that, unlike the proclamations of thoughtless adults, life improved with age because self-knowledge increased and brought comfort." –Susan Keeter is the illustrator of The Piano |
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Connie Ann Kirk "We go to Mass on Christmas Eve. When my children were younger, we used to go to the 'family Mass' that was in the late afternoon or early evening and was especially appropriate for children. Now that they're older, we go to Midnight Mass, which is very beautiful. The full choir is glorious; there are many poinsettias on the altars, candles everywhere, and a nativity scene in the front of the church. It is a blessed and holy time. Since we live in the North, sometimes it is snowing when we come out of church Christmas Eve night, and the lights shining on the twinkling snow is very beautiful and makes it feel like the earth is blanketed in hope and peace." –Connie Ann Kirk is the author of Sky Dancers |
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Uma Krishnaswami "We celebrate Diwali before everyone else's holidays begin–usually end of October or early November. We don't do much for Christmas, although the break is nice–we sometimes go see a movie on Christmas Day because the theaters are often empty, and we always stay up to see the New Year in. In my family for several years now we've made homemade pizza a Thanksgiving ritual. We start the dough in the late morning, and everyone prepares their favorite topping. Guests invited for the evening meal get to bring their favorites, and then we put them all together. In mid-January we observe Pongal, the south Indian version of Thanksgiving, in which special blends of rice and other grains are put out for birds and animals. In New Mexico, the magpies love my Pongal offerings." –Uma Krishanswami is the author of The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Story and Bringing Asha Home |
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W. Nikola-Lisa "Ah, the holidays...Well, in our household my wife and I use the holidays to catch up on our work. Both my wife and I teach at the college level (she teaches art; I teach education). We also give lots of talks and do teacher workshops. So, during the holidays we catch up on our creative work and our sleep. When the holidays come, we can't wait to sleep, I mean work. Well, the two kind of go together. When I sleep I snore so it keeps my wife up and she gets a lot of work done (painting, drawing, making sculpture), but at some point she can't stay awake any more and falls asleep (usually standing up at her drawing board). Unfortunately, she's not too good at sleeping standing up and, at some point, she falls over and the crash of body, drawing board, coffee and charcoal usually wakes me up–with a start!–and I can't get back to sleep. So, while she sleeps (curled up with the cat on the floor) I get up and work until I can't stay awake any more. I work until I fall asleep (usually in a chair; I don't like falling over), but my snoring soon wakes up my wife, which then starts the whole work-sleep cycle again. Yes, we love the holidays! I wonder why other people like them?" –W. Nikola-Lisa is the author of My Teacher Can Teach...Anyone!, Bein with You This Way, Summer Sun Risin', America: My Land, Your Land, Our Land, America: A Book of Opposites and How We Are Smart |
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Therese On Louie "When my brother and I were children, Christmas was always a big deal at our house. My mother had a hundred different cookie cutters, and we spent days decorating gingerbread cookies with frosting, raisins, cherries, and all kinds of colorful sprinkles. We'd wrap many of them in plastic and hang them on the tree. On Christmas Eve, the house was full of the laughter and noise of relatives and friends. The living room would be packed with people singing holiday songs around the piano. We'd have a great time just being together. Although traditions have changed over the years, spending the holidays with family continues to be important. These days, my husband and I often go to New York to spend the holidays with his family. Sometimes I go with my mother to see my brother, who lives in Florida. Sometimes we just visit with relatives near home. One of my favorite times is when I take the holiday decorations out of storage. I love not knowing what each tissue-wrapped bundle will be, and many of the ornaments bring back memories of special times." –Therese On Louie is the author of Raymond's Perfect Present |
How do you celebrate the holidays and what do they mean to you? |
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Trish Marx "Christmas trees! Maybe because I am from Minnesota, where Christmas tree farms dot the landscape, I love Christmas trees. My first year living in New York City, when it all seemed a bit scary (a little like the first day of school all year long!), I had a wonderful tree. I got it at one of those little mini-forests that spring up all over New York between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Almost every street, it seems, had someone selling Christmas trees. That first year, I brought home a small but very full tree, only to find a real bird's nest hidden close to the trunk. I loved knowing that some bird family had lived in my tree. And what's under my tree? Each year, tucked in among the other gifts, is something a little different. One year it might be a page from a journal I kept when my children were little. I would make each child (I have three) a copy of something they said or did that was funny, or meaningful, to them, something they would not otherwise know. Last year I gave them each a piece of old wood, 10,000 year old wood, found in my father's pond in Minnesota. The wood came from a tree that had fallen into the pond, and the water preserved it, all these years. Today there are no forests in that part of Minnesota, but for a moment, that Christmas, we all thought about southern Minnesota covered with huge spruce forests. Well, I'm back to trees again. It must be time to start thinking about this year's tree! –Trish Marx is the author of Steel Drumming at the Apollo: The Road to Super Top Dog and Everglades Forever: Restoring America's Great Wetland |
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Ken Mochizuki "Christmas is typically American, and that means family. In my lifetime, I have not missed a Christmas with the family, which is 44 Christmases. New Year's Day might vary slightly from most of the country. Those of Japanese descent celebrate the first day of a new year with oshogatsu, which is eating traditional Japanese foods, usually eaten in between college bowl games on TV." –Ken Mochizuki is the author of Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story, Heroes , Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee and Baseball Saved Us |
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René King Moreno "My husband I always celebrate Christmas with our families. Christmas is the one time each year when everyone gets together. Our parents live in the same town, and all our siblings and their children come home for the holiday. My grandparents recently moved nearby too, and we have a wonderful time with all the generations together. We usually go to church, and we have a big home-cooked dinner. It's a great way to end the year and start a new one!" –René King Moreno is the illustrator of Under the Lemon Moon |
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William Miller "I’m a devoted member of the Episcopal Church and celebrate the holiday’s import to the liturgical year. The original meaning of holiday is "holy day." –William Miller is the author of Night Golf, The Bus Ride, Richard Wright and the Library Card, A House by the River, Frederick Douglass and the Last Day of Slavery, Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree, The Piano, Joe Louis, My Champion and Rent Party Jazz |
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Alexis O'Neill "No one in my large California family had ever tasted turnip before I arrived here eleven years ago. So, for Thanksgiving, my job is to bring mashed turnip, a New England dish, to the family gathering at my sister-in-law's house. For Christmas, I make cat ornaments–a different design each year. On Christmas day, we go to my mother-in-law's house. The family carts the furniture out of the dining room to the patio and my husband, David, takes a family photograph. (You should see these photos through the years!) We eat, eat, eat, exchange gifts, do dishes then play games." –Alexis O'Neill is the author of Estela's Swap |
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Katherine Potter "My husband and I and our two daughters, who are teenagers, spend Christmas Eve together. We build a fire in the fireplace, finish wrapping presents, drink wine or hot chocolate and maybe watch an old movie. After the kids go to bed I haul out all the presents and place them under the tree. In the morning, my husband's sister comes over to open presents with us, which usually takes a couple of hours and lots of coffee. Even though they're 15 and 18, watching my children on Christmas morning reminds me of when they were little. I love seeing their reactions when they open a gift. Then we eat pancakes, get dressed (usually wearing at least one item of clothing we just received) and go to my parents' apartment. My sister and two brothers are also there, my brother-in-law and my two nephews. We eat, exchange more gifts, and hang out for a couple of hours. This year we'll be leaving my parents' early to go to a friend's house where my husband and his musician friends will play music, and we'll sing and eat and drink some more! Cheers!" –Katherine Potter is the author of The Have a Good Day Cafe |
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Jan Reynolds "One of my family's favorite times of the holiday season is celebrating the solstice, the darkest day of the year. We do not allow any electric lights to be turned on all day, we wake up to candlelight only, in the early morning. By about 4 p.m., we are ready to light the candles around the house for the evening, and a few laterns outside to welcome guests who will soon be arriving to watch us light our tree with real candles for the first time during the holiday season. By this time we have already cut the tree ourselves, we have decorated it, but we do not light it until solstice evening. We also decorate a tree outside for the birds and animals, by hanging pine cones coated with peanut butter and seeds, and other safe treats for them to eat. We enjoy watching the animals have a celebration of their own through the window! We know that from this day forward, it will only be getting lighter, so we enjoy the dark by candelight on solstice eve."–Jan Reynolds is the author of the Vanishing Cultures series and Celebrate! Connections Among Cultures |
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Lynn Rubright "My Christmas tradition is to make gingerbread cookies with my eight year old grandson, Ross. I have a collection of thirty cookie cutters...and he uses every one. I have done this for thirty five years, but now Ross does all the measuring, sifting, mixing of the dough (math) in one day. After chilling the dough, he returns to roll the dough and cut and bake the cookies in "his" oven. Christmas Eve is the traditional family feast at my home. It is my most special night of the year. Ross and I polish the silver days before; choose and set the candles and table the day before and make everything as wonderfully beautiful as we can. Last year Ross said he wanted to be the chef and butler. We worked for weeks pouring over cookbooks to create the menu. He helped me make certain dishes beforehand. Then Ross ( age 7 last year) laboriously printed it up. I was so impressed with his work that we went to Kinkos and had it printed on beautiful paper, which Ross chose, of course. He rolled each menu like a scroll and tied them with ribbon. He set each one at a place setting as a 'party' favor. Ross also helps me decorate the tree and garlands around the windows, which are hung with Mexican ornaments. Doing this on the ladder is one of Ross' "grown up" achievements. Thank goodness he is getting taller. The taller the better. I don't know what I would do without such good help to prepare for our Christmas Eve Feast. Christmas morning Robert and I have a very quiet brunch, go to church, then take a LONG 3 mile hike in the country 'if the weather be good.' Then we sit by the fire, read our new books, and eat leftovers. Nobody calls on Christmas day except my 94 year old daddy. Everybody is too busy doing THEIR Christmas traditions." –Lynn Rubright is the author of Mama's Window |
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Patricia Smith "This Christmas seems to be a pivotal one in our household. I'm the legal guardian of my 8-year-granddaughter Mikaila, and she's teetering on that sweet, confounding and painful line between Santa Claus and grim reality. She wants so desperately to keep believing in ritual and magic–while she turns our apartment upside down, looking for hard evidence to the contrary. ('Grandma, remember that little toy reindeer I left for Santa last year? Well, I looked everywhere and it's not in the house anymore, so he must have taken it with him. Or you hid it really well.') My husband and I are in a quandary, wondering whether to spill the beans, or cross our fingers for one more year, when--thanks to spoilsport friends and the budding of worldly wisdom--the beans will inevitably spill themselves. If we could freeze this moment in time, we would–she's right on the edge of preteen paranoia, between Barbie and Beyonce, Tigger and Timberlake. But for now she's only stepping in one direction and that's forward, into our arms, convinced that's where the magic begins." –Patricia Smith is the author of Janna and the Kings |
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Javaka Steptoe "I usually spend the holidays with my family and have lots of food and fun conversation. When I was younger I couldn't wait for the holidays because I could go out partying and hanging out with my friends, but now I like a quiet holiday spent with family. For me this is a time to renew and fortify special bonds." –Javaka Steptoe is the author and illustrator of The Jones Family Express and the illustrator of In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall |
How do you celebrate the holidays and what do they mean to you? |
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Maria Diaz Strom "I celebrate holidays with my family and friends. It's a time to be together." –Maria Diaz Strom is the author and illustrator of Rainbow Joe and Me | |
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Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen "I am very boring–turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas! The holidays have always been a family time, and I am trying to instill that in my children while trying to downplay the materialism. We always do the Christmas Eve service, and then have dinner with my parents if we're at their house. Last year we had a Tanzanian College student spend the holidays with us, and we're hoping she'll be able to spend this year with us as well." –Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen is the author of Elizabeti’s Doll, Mama Elizabeti Elizabeti's School, and Babu's Song |
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Debbie A. Taylor "We usually create handmade decorations including paper chains and tissue paper wreaths in early December. We decorate the tree with the same decorations year after year. Our tree glitters with paper snowflakes made by my children twenty years ago. On Christmas Eve we gather as many family members as possible. Anyone who can play an instrument is coaxed into playing a Christmas carol or two. Regardless, the house is filled with holiday music–from John Denver and the Muppets to soprano Kathleen Battle. We also celebrate Kwanzaa with friends who have celebrated the holiday for decades. Setting up our own Kwanzaa display, with a kinara, candles, ears of corn and fruit on a colorful cloth, is a new tradition we embraced several years ago." –Debbie Taylor is the author of Sweet Music in Harlem |
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Stanley Todd Terasaki "I am a person of faith, so the holidays are very special to me; they are indeed "holy days." For me, Christmas is truly the time when the light of the world came down to us. It's a time of great joy and blessing that I enjoy with my family and with my church family. My most memorable Christmas came two years ago. I had written a play entitled A River in the Desert (Christmas in Manzanar), which is about the Japanese-American experience in the internment camp during World War II. This play was being performed at my church, and my daughter was one of the actors. We were in rehearsal one afternoon when I received a call from New York. It was Louise May informing me that I had won Lee & Low's New Voices Honor Award for my book Ghosts for Breakfast. That was quite a thrill–a thrill from which I still haven't quite recovered. That Christmas my love for writing plays, my love for writing children's books, and my love for my church came together in a wonderful way." –Stanley Todd Terasaki is the author of Ghosts for Breakfast |
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Paula Yoo "We spend every Christmas in Las Vegas. I know, that sounds very strange and unusual, but since 1999, it's become an annual tradition for my husband and I. We originally went to Vegas for Christmas in 1999 and had so much fun that we decided not only to get married there, but to spend every Christmas there! Our families live in Michigan and Connecticut, and given our hectic schedules, we tend to visit our families during the warmer spring months instead. We always bring our Christmas presents for each other along with us, and open them on Christmas morning wherever we are staying in Vegas. –Paula Yoo is the author of Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
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