East Central Reporter

Traditions are an essential part of human culture, offering stability and connecting individuals to their roots. They play a significant role during the holidays when people engage in rituals that reflect their cultures, religions, and communities. These traditions include family recipes, favorite songs, and storytelling.

New traditions also emerge, such as watching Christmas movies or wearing ugly sweaters. "There is something meaningful in upholding traditions year after year," as they provide continuity and connection across generations.

According to Google Trends, attending tree lighting ceremonies is the most popular Christmas tradition in Illinois. Other notable traditions include participating in white elephant games, wearing Christmas sweaters, personalizing stockings, using Advent calendars, engaging with Elf on the Shelf activities, hiding pickle ornaments for good fortune, matching holiday pajamas for families including pets, sending photo cards and letters, building gingerbread houses, Secret Santa exchanges, decorating homes with lights and viewing them, baking cookies while admiring department store windows displays singing carols or attending pageants.

Hanukkah brings its own set of customs like lighting the Menorah playing dreidel giving out gelt singing Hanukkah songs cooking foods fried in oil such as latkes or donuts eating dairy products celebrating Judith's heroism through gift exchanges.

The link between tradition and storytelling is profound. Sharing stories about ornaments recipes or past holidays strengthens bonds between past present ensuring future generations continue these practices.