Bay first-graders share their favorite family traditions

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

Every holiday Christmas I think we invite our aunts and uncles to my house. Sometimes I think we play a game. And we also have some friends like my cousins over. We play sometimes. I think that’s all that I can remember.
- Anthony

Me and my mom set up the tree together. The next day is Christmas and we open our presents. We visit my grandma and grandpa and eat breakfast. I love pancakes and waffles and eggs.
- Andre’

Our tradition is setting up the Christmas tree and putting decorations on it. We go to the Santa shop. We buy presents for mom, dad, two grandmas and two grandpas. That’s it.
- Ari

I like to help decorate the tree. I like to help my family put on the ornaments. We also open presents when my mommy and daddy wake up.
- Abigail

The day before Christmas, I like to bake cookies together. I like to find my Elf too. Last year, Peppermint was tangled up in the lights above our dining room table. The next day she escaped! She is so sweet.
- Annika

On Christmas morning, I wait on the stairs with my sisters Lucy and Charlotte until everyone is awake. Then my mom and dad tell us we can go downstairs. Then, we find Freddy our Elf and then we open presents. It is so much fun.
- Clara

On Christmas Eve we go to our grandma and grandpa’s. We eat dinner and a huge brunch then open our presents and stockings. Stockings and presents are the best!
- Elise

My favorite thing is to get my Christmas tree. We cut it down. When we get home, we put it up. I love our colored lights.
- Kelsey

We open our presents on Christmas day then we go to our grandparents’ house and bake cookies. The best part about baking cookies is we get to eat them after we are done.
- Ella

I go to this Christmas place with my family to get a tree. We get to play hide and seek around the trees. It’s so much fun!
- Hunter

We put up the tree and me and my mom help decorate it. My brother and I help put the ornaments on the tree. We open presents after everyone is ready. I am not good at waiting.
- Josie

We actually do a lot of stuff. First thing everyone comes in like my family and cousins and all that. Then, we open presents. Lots and lots of presents. It looks like a swimming pool of wrapping paper where the kids jumped into it.
- Lily

We bake cookies every year. We go to a store and go shopping for stuff like lights and stuff. And, we go to my uncle's house and play some games. That’s the end.
- Mikey

We like to decorate our three trees and watch my Elf do some tricks. My favorite trick was he hung toilet paper from the ceiling and put socks in my jacket!
- Mya

I get to see Santa every year. This year he stopped on the road behind our house and gave all the kids candy canes.
- Margaret

I go to visit my dad’s house. We wake up early and open presents. Then I go to my mom’s. We put up the tree. I wake up early to see my Elf. My Elf is crazy. He likes to hang onto the lamp with one hand. It is so funny.
- Preston

We go to a tree farm and pick a tree. Then we go home and decorate it. I do this with my grandma at my house. It is fun.
- James

Every holiday at Christmas I get a big tree and we decorate it. We put it in water so it doesn’t die. After we do it we put our Christmas train around the bottom. Sometimes we have to put the train up high so my baby brother doesn’t get it.
- Mario

We all go to my grandma’s house. My grandma and cousins give us presents. We all decorate my grandma’s tree too.
- Nora

I put Christmas lights on the Gingerbread house. Gingerbread is a decoration on the table.
- Liam