The end of the year marks the year of many different holidays around the globe such as  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and New year’s Eve, to name a few. No matter the holiday that one celebrates, this time of the year is such a special time for families and friends to get together and spend time with their loved ones. 

2020, however, caused changes to some people’s annual holiday plans due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In this age of social distancing, many people spent the holidays at home this year. Despite such a big change for many, people were still able to partake in fun activities at home with close family and friends.

What makes the holidays so special is being able to enjoy time with loved ones and there’s no better way to do that than participate in traditions. These traditions vary from family to family but nonetheless are all special in their own unique way. 

Some of Fern Creek’s teachers and staff have shared their own traditions that they have with family and friends.

Melissa Tabor, Fern Creek’s AP Clerk and 1989 Alumni, is no stranger to family traditions.

“Our extended family from my Dad’s side of the family get together every Thanksgiving and every Christmas Eve. This is including all the Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents. This tradition started when my dad and his siblings married and wanted to continue to spend the holidays together. Growing up we always spent Christmas Eve at my Aunt and Uncle’s house (who happen to be Mr. Colon’s grandparents so we grew up with many of the same traditions); we transitioned this tradition to Mr. Colon and his mom’s house for many years when my Aunt and Uncle got older. Now my mom or I host depending on the year. We have dinner, open presents, and some of us go to church afterward. With most of the cousins married (with our own kids now and when everyone is here) we can have up to 50 people. Some years we do not have as many as some of the cousins alternate years and spend the holiday with their spouses’ family but we gather every year with as many of us who can get together,”  she said. 

Mrs. Tabor’s family celebrates Thanksgiving day every year as well, dating back to 1960 when her Dad’s side of the family gathered together to celebrate her parent’s first house that they purchased, her Dad’s 25th birthday, and Thanksgiving all in one. This year would’ve been the 60th anniversary of the family’s Thanksgiving get-together at Mrs. Tabor’s parents’ home but unfortunately, this was not able to happen due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, she was still able to celebrate with her mom, husband, son, and sister. 

“Whenever I am asked about Holiday Traditions, these are the two that always come to mind that have never wavered and that have continued to be passed down to each generation in our family. I hope they continue and I am grateful to be able to share with all of you–my Fern Creek Family.” -Melissa Tabor

Will Colon (FC Social Studies Teacher) spends his Christmas Eve with his daughters and wife. Together, they do fun little activities throughout the night. “We also have a special Christmas Eve tradition — my daughters open a present which is always a new board game. (They love board games so we play a lot of them.) We also get new matching pajamas every Christmas Eve. As the night winds down (and we’re of course in our matching Christmas pajamas) we sit down together and play the new board game before we set out milk and cookies and send the girls off to bed.” 

Mr. Colon and his daughters also decorate gingerbread houses every year. (Photo Courtesy of Mr. Colon)

Along with the Christmas traditions that Mr. Colon has with his daughters, he also has individual traditions with his cousin and best friend. Every year, he and his cousin (Austin) send each other their favorite book that they read of the year. Mr Colon said that this year, he sent his cousin “The End of October” b

y Lawrence Wright. 

Mr. Colon and his best friend, Alan annually exchange coffee mugs with each other. However, there’s a fun twist to this tradition: the coffee mugs that these two give each other are from fake businesses in fictional movies. “[One year], he gave me an InGen mug which is the corporation in Jurassic Park. Then I gave him a mug from the Nakatomi Christmas Party 1988 which is the setting for the movie Die Hard.”

Coach Abell and Mrs. Abell’s favorite holiday tradition is to make and decorate sugar cookies with their two kids. They make the cookies from scratch using Mrs. Abell’s grandma’s sugar cookie recipe. “It is the best,” she  said. “Also, Grant (her son) is finally old enough to start helping in the kitchen too so this year was extra fun!”

Even though this past year’s holiday season was unlike any other, there is no doubt that the holiday’s are what one makes out of them and can still be very enjoyable with any traditions, both new and old.