Christmas Traditions Abound

As Christmas fast approaches, many take this opportunity to reflect on Christmas traditions of the past and present. A short survey of the Key Communications' staff, publisher of USGNN.com™/USGlass magazine, reveals that many share one untraditional tradition: watching 24 hours of a the classic "A Christmas Story" on TBS every December 25.

Webmaster Bryan Hovey not only watches the famous movie for the classic line, "You'll shoot your eye out!," but his children, Christopher, 14, Hannah, 10,and Cameron, 7, have also created their own tradition.

"Every year the kids spread oatmeal mixed with glitter in the yard for the 'reindeer,'" Hovey says. "The glitter is so the reindeer can find the oats more easily in the dark."

Advertising coordinator Erin Harris has outgrown one of her classic traditions, but still looks back on it fondly.

"My parents would load my sisters and me into the car on Christmas Eve night and we would drive around looking at all the Christmas lights people had put up," she says. "I always thought that this was so exciting. I found out just this year that my dad actually came up with the idea because we would not settle down and go to bed. I guess we were just too excited about Santa coming."

USGNN online reporter Wendy Jozwiak's traditions start right after Thanksgiving with Black Friday.

"My sister and I were second in line at Best Buy this year," she says. Jozwiak's sister, Liz, arrived at noon on Thanksgiving to stake out the prime spot-and the two camped out all night in a tent to get the earliest of sales at the electronics store. As Christmas approaches, Jozwiak stays in the Christmas spirit by baking cookies, attending Midnight Mass and keeping the Christmas music flowing.

To tinsel or not to tinsel: that is the question for USGNN.com publisher Deb Levy's parents. The two, who have been married for 50 years, have argued over the tinsel issue for many years-but Levy notes in later years they've kept up the mock argument in good fun, only for the sake of tradition and the entertainment of their children.

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