1.) Bev Uipi
In my Tongan culture, it’s customary for brothers to give gifts (tokonaki) to their sisters on birthdays and holidays. Since we were young, Millcreek kids into our adulthood, we took tokonaki to our Utah aunties, Ngatu Vimahi and Selu Ika, for their birthdays and holidays. My dad is the youngest of eight, and the only brother living in Utah. Tokonaki were simple, it could be a cake, fruit, meat, or potatoes. My siblings and I had something to give our aunties in honor of my father’s love for his sisters for all they did to love and support him, as well as help raise us. I am grateful to understand, appreciate, and teach my son, Xane, one of the many ways to show love and respect within our Tongan culture during the holidays. It literally takes a village! 'Ofa ke mou ma'u ha Kilisimasi fiefia (Merry Christmas)!
2.) Cheri Jackson
One of our favorite holiday traditions is collecting nativity displays from our travels. I have nativities from Iceland, Poland, Denmark, Haiti and more. My sons have brought me nativities from their travels too. The farthest came from Madagascar and was hand-carved. It is fun to look for nativity displays when we are in different parts of the world, and it is fun to see other cultures' depictions of Christ's birth. Putting up the nativity displays every December reminds us of our travels. They are our favorite holiday decorations.
3.) Thom Desirant
In my family, no holiday celebration is complete without a few rounds of euchre. Euchre is a team based, trick-taking card game from the Midwest that my family picked up at some point. There’s something special about the playful banter and strategizing with teammates, followed by laughter and maybe a little friendly rivalry. It’s our way of connecting and creating new memories, one trick at a time. Like many Utahns, my family is spread out across the country, but it's always so easy for us to pick everything back up across the card table like no time has passed.