Bay Village students share their favorite traditions

For the Observer's annual last-issue-of-the-year feature, students from Mrs. Julie McArn’s first-grade class at Normandy Elementary in Bay Village share favorite family traditions.

My family likes to bake Christmas cookies together. My favorite kind is gingersnaps because I like the different kinds of sprinkles that we put on top of them.
– Greta S.

We like to decorate cookies with candies and a bunch of frosting. I like doing this because we get to lick the frosting off our fingers in the end. It’s yummy!
– Andrew E.

On Christmas morning me and my brother wait in my mom’s bathroom and then my dad gets the camera. We all run out and we see the presents by the Christmas tree. I like this because then we get to unwrap the presents all together.
– Lillian G.

My favorite tradition is that we get to go to the lights at the zoo. There are lots and lots of different lights. We get hot cocoa too. It is very yummy!
– Malachi D.

I am going to go to my grandma and grandpa’s house where we celebrate Christmas there. We do this every Christmas. I like it because I get to hang out with my family.
– Tucker S.

We like to build gingerbread houses. Me and my brothers get to make our own. We use frosting and gumdrops. We put them up for decoration when we are done. Mom lets us eat some of the candy too.
– Luke S.

Sometimes we get to go to our grandma’s house on Christmas Eve to make cookies and to have Christmas. I love it because I get to see my grandma, not the silly grandma, the other one. I love them both.
– Esther S.

Every year I bake cookies with my grandma. We make cinnamon cookies. They are so sweet and extra sugary. My grandma lets me eat the ones that are not burnt.
– Maddie M.

After Christmas we go to my grandma’s house in a pajamas. It’s called a Pajama Christmas. We get to open lots of presents again at her house.
– Jude C.

Me, my mom, dad and sister Heidi like cutting down our Christmas tree. I like this because we get to have hot chocolate and popcorn at the place we went. 
– Greta D.

I like to have a Christmas party with my cousins at my house. We get to play with a lot of Legos.
– Brendan B.

Every year we do a party at my grandparents'. We unwrap presents. It’s so much fun to unwrap all the presents.
– Emily J.

On Christmas morning we look for the pickle ornament and whoever finds it gets to open a present first. 
– Walt K.

Our family tradition is giving people candy canes when we are at my grandma's. I like this because it’s being nice to others.
– Emma K.

My family tradition is when we sit around the living room opening presents. I like it because we get to hang around with our family.
– Wyatt H.

My family always draws Santa Claus pictures every year. I like to do this because it is fun.
– Kennedy N.

Every year my family comes over to my grandpa and grandma’s house. We eat together and open presents and we get a new toy each year. I love it because we usually don’t have time to spend together during the year.
– Clare V.