When Halloween comes to an end, all the stores and many people get hyped up to start their preparations for the December holidays which many people think is way too early because there is another holiday before the ones previously mentioned: Thanksgiving. Many debates go on about whether or not to start preparing for Christmas or any other December holiday the day after Halloween. For one family it is a tradition to prepare for Christmas in the middle of fall. Other families choose to set up their trees after Thanksgiving dinner. Some families don’t even celebrate Thanksgiving and make the choice to start setting up for Hanukkah and Christmas. Every family is different in their own ways and traditions.

Many families have a variety of traditions after Halloween. “For Hanukkah, I go to my grandparent’s house and read a script and light the candles on the menorah  I also usually go to my aunt’s house to celebrate Christmas every year. My family and I get to eat ice cream next to the fireplace every year in addition to that we get presents!” Says Sharon Wang ecstatically. “Our family traditions during this time of year are the classics, setting up the tree, a lot of baking, for example, coffee cakes, peanut butter cookies; and we cook ham on Christmas Eve”, states Carson Martinez. Families traditionally celebrate only one holiday in the month of December and five days later celebrate New Year. New Year is not as celebrated and mentioned as Christmas. Many different countries don’t really celebrate Christmas. That holiday is instead replaced with New Year.

In some countries for example Russia, it is considered to be mixed with Christmas traditions and New Year traditions. In Spain, at every strike of the clock, you must eat a grape to have a lucky new year. In Denmark, you must throw away old dishes on New Year’s Eve to gain good luck for the next year. In North America, it is traditional for watching the ball drop in Time Square, New York City whether it is watched in person or on live television. There are many different traditions for New Year around the world that can’t be fit all into one article, unfortunately.

Many families around the world may have their differences in holiday traditions but some may disagree with them which is totally fine. Every individual has different opinions on this topic and is still debated to this day and this will continue for years to come.