The holidays are full of rituals that tie us together. Whether they have been passed down for generations or thought up spontaneously among friends, these traditions become touchstones of connection and celebration.
While the holidays each carry their own familiar cadences, it’s often the unique traditions that make this time of year most memorable. These are the traditions that don’t appear on greeting cards, but rather they live in group chats and inside jokes. Maybe it’s a Friendsgiving potluck where none of the dishes match but all are a delight. Or a New Year’s toast to the things you won’t miss the most. These are the celebrations that remind us that the holidays aren’t just about the calendar. They are about connection, creativity, and carving out joy in our own way.
My family loves a good Thanksgiving turkey. And ham. Rolls, greenbean casserole—the works. And while I love Thanksgiving dinner (at 2 pm) with people I love, I will admit that my aunt’s beer cheese dip is what I look forward to the most. We realized a while ago that by the time Christmas rolls around—not hardly a month later—we’re pretty well hammed up. After a solid, and delicious, multi-year stent of soup and paninis on Christmas, we one-upped ourselves with the Christmas Night Nacho Table. Born from a Facebook inspiration and a shared love of nachos, the table was cleared, covered in chips and tin foil, heat guns at the ready and a tradition was born.
As the holidays roll around once again, enjoy this amalgamation of unique, wild, wacky, and weird holiday traditions gathered from around the state. Some captured in photographs, others that live solely in the minds and group chats of those involved, until now. Maybe it will inspire your own wild and wonderful ideas? It’s never too late to start something new. All traditions have a beginning.
Mairin
“Every New Year’s Eve we had a fancy dinner (crab legs and steak), played board games, and watched the ball drop together as a family! Kept us home when we were younger!” She’s continued the tradition into her adulthood with her husband and growing family.
CeCe
“My family comes from all across the country and world. We each bring a gift native to our region (sometimes the caveat is that it must be from a gas station, for example). We then play games and winners pick from the gifts. It’s always so funny to see what everyone brings! Our family has grown, so we wanted to make it about our time together and not gifts. We pick a theme and shopping for it is half the fun! This year we are doing an ugly sweater bowling party. We have family coming from St. Louis, Texas, Australia, and Idaho.”
Jean
“Every big holiday, we ride our horses, weather permitting. Our favorite rides are Christmas and/or New Years. Trotting through the sparkling snow on Crane Meadow...”
Tyce
“On Black Friday, we put up our Christmas tree and decorate it while watching the 1990 horror/comedy classic Tremors.”
Jason
“Since I do pottery, every year on Black Friday we each make another person in the family a coffee mug or cereal bowl. We trim them and fire them for who they are meant to be. I always know because I put them in the kiln. We open them on Xmas morning and then we use them for the whole year till the next Black Friday and we start all over."
Kayla
“We hide a ceramic pickle ornament in the tree and look for it on Christmas Eve. Whoever finds it gets a gift!”
Cipi
“We go to all the local holiday markets to Christmas shop and support local makers and creators! There are so many fun events to go to with kids and find cool new art and trinkets. We also have been making it a point to keep our gifts handmade or harvested for the holidays rather than contributing to the commercial chaos that Christmas has turned into.”
Anonymous
“Our holidays look a bit different than most, but we love it that way! Our family decided to stop giving gifts a few years ago and it has been a truly amazing experience. We used to feel pressured to buy things that our loved ones didn't need (or even want). Now we just enjoy spending quality time with each other around the holidays. We usually eat good food, play cards, and watch Jurassic Park! No stress, no pressure - just good company and lots of love.”