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Christmas Traditions
St. Thomas Aquinas reached out to Faculty-Staff members who have a son or daughter playing athletics to share their favorite Christmas/Holiday family Tradition. Here is what they had to say:
Paul Marquis (STA President) and daughter Quinn (Senior)
The Marquis family has a few traditions to share:
Quinn and her cousins, on both sides of the family, always participate in a secret Santa. All the cousins pick names at Thanksgiving time when we are together and then get gifts for each other. All the aunts and uncles do the same for each other. It's always great fun to exchange and open them at Christmas. Another tradition, on the Marquis side, that began when the cousins were very young and has continued as everyone has gotten older are little performances. There might be some lip-syncing, dancing, singing - kind of acting silly and simply having fun. It's always something the grandparents enjoy, especially when the adults take their turn.
Howard Puertas (Spanish Teacher) and son Ben (Senior)
On Christmas Eve, we stay up late enjoying holiday classics like Home Alone and The Polar Express, creating memories together. We also like to share a special dinner together and just spend some quality time with each other.
Stephanie Bolduc (Manager of Administrative Services) and daughter Genna (Senior)
Our favorite Christmas Tradition:
In a day and age where parents and teenagers rarely see eye to eye, Genna and I share the same favorite Christmas tradition – Picking and cutting our family Christmas tree!
Every year since the girls were little, we've loaded up the truck and headed to a local tree farm, often turning the outing into a scene straight out of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!" Genna always insists on finding the BIGGEST TREE EVER! Liv prefers a large tree, but it doesn't have to be ginormous, while Alaina is all about finding the total package—not too big, not too small, with just the right shape and look!
Well, this often led to a few disagreements among our girls, and Mike and I found ourselves mediating to help the girls reach an agreement. And by agreement, I mean they usually end up choosing the tree Genna picked out. This was in part because Genna had the most passionate and compelling argument for why her tree was PERFECT. She would get so excited and animated, that her sisters usually laughed and agreed, it was the perfect tree for us. (And to be honest, the girls might have been a little afraid of Genna.)
As the years have gone by, nothing has changed. The girls are older, but they still love going to pick our tree every Thanksgiving weekend. We head to our friend's tree farm and Genna finds the biggest, most outrageous tree. The other two girls look around and make suggestions, but ultimately agree with Genna…. bigger is better when it comes to Christmas trees!
Julie Verde (Math/Chair Department) and son Dylan (Sophomore)
Attending Christmas Eve Mass, hosting a Christmas Day gathering with a delicious roast beef dinner, decorating cookies and gingerbread houses, and trimming the tree together all create wonderful memories. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.
Steve Morrison (Director of Admission) and son Aidan (Senior)
We discussed and agreed that our favorite tradition is reading books on Christmas Eve just before bed. This tradition began when we started our family and has turned into a cherished ritual. Every Christmas Eve, after completing all the essential tasks, namely setting out milk and cookies—each child selects a Christmas book for Dad to read. In truth, there's not much "selecting" involved, as we end up reading the same four beloved books each year: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "The Polar Express," "The Elf on the Shelf," and "The Night Before Christmas." This tradition is truly one of the most exciting and joyous moments our family shares throughout the year.
Merry Christmas, STA and Happy New Year!
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