Students share their holiday rituals
WHETHER IT’S SOMETHING your family has been doing forever, or it’s a new tradition you want to start this year, everyone tends to get a little weird around the holidays. Check out the following hilarious holiday traditions from University of Ottawa students—maybe they’ll help you feel better about the weird things you and your family do during the holiday season.
Lineup
Santa may make all his deliveries in one night, but some have to wait in a queue to see their presents. Katherine DeClerq’s parents made their kids line up in the order they were born to look under the Christmas tree. The downside? The torture of watching your siblings squeal with delight before getting to your own presents.
Christmas movie marathons
While some decide to watch Home Alone on Christmas Eve, Spencer Van Dyk chooses to go with a less traditional movie choice—she likes to watch Die Hard on Dec. 24. Now that makes for an action-packed holiday!
Interpretive dancing
There’s something about the holiday season that just makes you want to dance. Ali Schwabe and her sister like to dance the infamous “Soulja Boy” routine to their favourite Christmas carols each year.
Unorthodox gifts
What do you give to a man who has everything? Victoriah Haince gifts her picky grandfather potatoes—yes, the vegetable—which she decorates to the best of her ability beforehand. At least she’s original!
All play and no work
Traditions that started when you were five years old don’t necessarily have to end when you grow up. Schwabe and her siblings have been putting on plays for their parents since she was a little girl. Their original works include “The Way the Animals Saw It”, “Jesus Through a Time Machine”, and “The Story of the Candy Cane”.
Make a wish
If the New Year is a time when you want all your wishes to come true, consider trying an old trick we Russians swear by. Wait until 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and then spring into action. As soon as the minute hand hits the 59, grab a piece of paper and write down your wish. Light your wish on fire, put the ashes into a glass of champagne, and drink it. If you manage to do all of that before the clock strikes 12 a.m., your wish will come true. If not, better luck next year.
—Jane Lytvynenko
