As last-minute shopping wound down on Christmas Eve, local families turned to their traditions for the holidays.
Many, like Kimberly Townsend, value the holidays mostly as a time to help others.
Townsend, executive director of Anderson Housing Authority, and her staff bought presents for children who wrote a letter to Santa and turned the letters in to the AHA office.
“We deal with some of the hardest-hit families in the community,” Townsend said. “I know that after they pay their bills, there is not a whole lot for the kids, so we have always tried to come up with things to help our families.
“I have my family traditions, but this to me is the most special thing about Christmas. Just giving back and helping people that may not be able to wake up and give much of anything to their children.”
Eric Davis, assistant superintendent of Anderson Community Schools, said his extended family goes over to his parents’ house on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to spend time together.
“Typically, we will eat at my parents’ house,” Davis said. “It is kind of like a come-and-go celebration throughout the day. We play games, watch movies, “The Grinch” and “Polar Express.”
Christmas is a three-day celebration for Janine Barajas and her family. On Christmas Eve, the family stays awake until it is officially Christmas Day, then the children open their presents. Later that day, the adults participate in a white elephant gift exchange.
“We just spend (Christmas Day) with family and friends,” said Barajas, an interpreter at Community Hospital Anderson. “We have friends who come over, and we play games. We just love getting to see our family.”
Clayton Whitson, president and CEO of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, said, “It’s not the Christmas season until I have watched ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.’”
Whitson also takes his nephews to a tree farm to cut down a Christmas tree for the family.
“They love it,” Whitson said. “They feel like they are real lumberjacks, and it kind of gets them into the holiday spirit. We do it right after Thanksgiving.”
Cooper King, a student at Anderson High School, has a large family. Christmas Eve is spent at each grandma’s house, while Christmas morning is spent at home. The rest of Christmas Day is set aside for his aunt’s house.
“That is probably my favorite part about it,” King said. “I get to see so many people that are spread out and that I do not get to see very often. We do not really have any set traditions. Our traditions are just going to a lot of families’ houses and spending time with them.”
Stephanie Moran, director of grant programs at Anderson University, said her family’s holiday traditions look different since her children moved out of her home. When her children were younger, the family would listen to music, light candles and read about the birth of Jesus Christ.
Nowadays, her family sits down to watch “The Sound of Music” together and sings along to the songs. Moran said the film helps her reflect.
“‘The Sound of Music’ is one that always tugs at my heart and is a delight to watch year after year,” Moran said. “Especially this year, I was just reflecting, because ‘The Sound of Music’ took place during wartime. You kind of experience a little bit of what it must have been like in that timeframe and how many people are battling wartime today.”
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.