Christmas is a wonderful time to gather with your closest family, friends, and loved ones and celebrate the season of giving and the love we share. Of course, everyone and every family is different, so everyone celebrates Christmas in their own unique way! Williamson Forward spoke to locals throughout the region about their most treasured holiday traditions.
Christmas Traditions
Dee Kapourales and her husband, Sam, both hold Christmas in Williamson close to their hearts. “We love our Williamson Christmases!” she says. “My out of town family loves to come in as well. Sam and I are both the children of Greek immigrants, so we blend the old traditions with our own!” Dee enjoys baking the rolled cookies she’s been making since she was in the 8th grade, alongside Greek pastries and baklava. While Santa might come around on the 25th, Greek children receive their presents from St. Basil on New Year's Day, so kids receive presents around that time.
Dee and her family have been working with her family every Christmas to replicate a recipe of a late cousin, Effie Kapourales, and this year, they were finally successful.”We cheered and hooted and hollered!” Dee says. “It’s pure joy to relive the memories and do something like that.”
Family Time
Shelby Porter and her husband, Shane, make it a point to visit both their parents’ and grandparents’ houses around Christmastime, and they always spend Christmas Eve at her mom’s. “We play all kinds of Christmas games and board games,” Shelby says.
Building Lasting Memories
Like Dee, Pauline Sturgill is a part of a large family: four generations come together at Christmas. “I don’t put up a tree, but I fill vases with pine and holiday decorations, and set out several poinsettias,” she says. “Our family always gathers Christmas Eve for our home cooked formal dinner and gift exchange.”
It’s the day after Christmas that the Sturgill family tradition really stands out: all of the women and the grandchildren who live at home load up, leave the men of the family behind,and take a weeklong road trip. “We visit a beach most years, but we’ve also gone tubing in the mountains,” Pauline says. “We love to visit historic sites and museums during the day, and at night we enjoy a meal together and play board games or cards. It’s all about building lasting memories.”
Reading from the Bible
Mike Wilson and his family have many traditions, but the one closest to his heart is simple. “The one that stands out closest to my heart is the reading of the true meaning of Christmas from the Bible.”
Whether your gathering is big or small, and no matter what you do, remember to take time to enjoy the season with the people you love the most!