T’is the season to be jolly, and the team at nbj is just about ready to have a great Christmas this year. The office tradition includes decking up the office tree and The office get together lunch. With loads of goodies coming in everyday we all seem to have become well rounded and prepared for the holidays. We spoke with a few of the nbjites to find what Christmas traditions they follow. We are glad you joined us in hearing what they have to say:

The beautiful tree at Christine’s.

Christine : I cook a big dinner on Christmas Eve at my house and my 2 sisters and their grown kids come over.  After dinner, everyone cleans up and we put a Christmas movie on like Elf or Christmas vacation.  Before everyone leaves, we all open one Christmas present.  On Christmas morning we open our gifts while having coffee and a light breakfast.  We always like to take our pup out for a walk through the trails in the neighborhood, and then we go to my sisters house during the day for an early dinner.

Michael Hoggard (Mike): This year the Holidays will be spent visiting my parents here in Richmond at their home, exchanging gifts and having dinner together. Sometimes other relatives come and stay for a day or two and enjoy the holiday’s with us. Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays!!

Andy knit her very own Christmas tree this year. Talk about going green.

Andrea Williams (Andy): My parents just bought a new house a month ago, so me and my brothers’ family will be spending Christmas with them. My families holiday tradition tends to be very lazy. Usually on Christmas morning, the youngest will try and wake everyone up as early as possible. My father will take a purposely long shower to torture the most excited, and everyone else will get coffee. No one is allowed near the presents until everyone is ready. Then we spend a few hours opening and exchanging presents, with the stockings being left to the end. We usually spend the rest of the day watching movies, listening to music, and generally just spending time with family.

Christmas decoration on the top of Jims piano.

James Lytle (Jim): Our tradition for Christmas Eve is to meet at my mother-in-law’s (Bobbie), recite the poem, “THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS” while drinking homemade eggnog. Our current tradition for Christmas Day is to have breakfast at home with our children. Open some gifts. Cook food for Christmas dinner to take to Bobbie’s. We then all head over to her house and are joined by my brother-in-law and his family to celebrate, all sit around a large table, Bobbie blesses the family, then eat piles of delicious food. Open more gifts. Play cribbage. Eat more food. Finally we divide up all the food so everyone takes home a pile of food.

Cassidy enjoying the holiday snow with son August.

Cassidy Droski: Every year, Santa comes to our house early so we can go visit extended family in Indiana and Michigan. We are looking forward to enjoying present opening with our two kids, the older of which is almost 4 and finally old enough to be REALLY excited for Christmas. After a delightful 12 hour drive to Michigan, Christmas eve involves a festive dinner with the in-laws and extended family followed by white elephant gift exchange, family gifts, and often a late charismas eve church service. Christmas morning we attend mass and then a few days later we travel to my parents and enjoy another Christmas there.

An all decked up Christmas tree at Clydes residence.

Clyde Fernandes: We have a bunch of traditions we have been following every year. I join my daughter and wife in making traditional Christmas sweets with recipes handed down from the ancestors. We then make the Nativity Scene with Baby-Jesus and decorate the Christmas Tree & Home with highlights in green & red,String up across the walls of the Living Room Christmas Cards from all over the world – Australia, New Zealand, UK, Portugal, Canada, India, Switzerland……cousins living there. At night we get together with the Church for Spaghetti dinner.My wife enjoys a Church Christmas Tea – ladies only – held a week before Christmas……an Old British custom with the traditional Tea-sets …. Tea-pots, sugar bowls, milk-jugs… tea-cups usually decorated with Christmas art. Our celebration continue with Christmas Cantata – Christmas Church music, Mid-night Mass at Church on Christmas Eve, Christmas supper after Church at a friend’s / relatives Home. The next day we enjoy a traditional Christmas Lunch and continue with Christmas week celebrations – parties, gift exchange, homemade-sweets exchange with friends & relatives. It’s the happiest time of the Year.

Ash’s Christmas tree is all about family.

Aishwarya Balagopal (Ash) : Back home in India my mom ,me and my sister grew up in catholic schools where Christmas was a grand celebration.We had a tradition of decorating our potted cook pine tree with cardboard ornaments me and my sister would make and sing Christmas carols. Since we grew up in the tropics, we would deck the tree with cotton to imitate the white Christmas Kevin McCallister had in Home Alone and Charlie Frost in the movie Jack Frost. The highlight for me was a traditional plum cake we enjoyed on the 25th. Now that we in the US, I have my tree I decorate with my 3 year old. We wrap one gift from Santa for her and place it under the tree on the 25^th morning just before she gets up. This year we will be joined by my sister and brother in law and shall have a Christmas eve party with close friends and family and will continue to enjoy a slice of the delicious plum cake on the 25^th.

Now that we have heard the nbj family plans we would love to hear from our extended family that is you. We are grateful for being associated with you and look forwarded to collaborating with you in the future. Wishing you happy holidays and A very Happy New Year from all of you here at nbj !!