Many of us are wrapping up our work for the year and getting ready to head home for the holidays. As we get ready to board our flights and finalize our Spotify playlists for the car ride home, we are reflecting on our favorite holiday traditions. Here are some our team’s favorite holiday festivities, both new and old.
Caragh McKenna, Group Account Director, UK
I still go home every year to Dublin for Christmas. It is the greatest city in the world for Christmas. We have a lot of traditions including Christmas Eve lunch with friends and family, followed by a visit the top of Grafton St. to watch Bono & Co busking. We then take a trip to our local pub until 11.59pm. 
But I guess the craziest (and my favorite) tradition is the swim at the Forty Foot on Christmas morning. My father has made us jump in the Irish Sea every Christmas for as long as I can remember. Pretty much half of Dublin keeps this tradition, and as you get older you realize the benefit of an icy plunge following Christmas Eve (the biggest night out of the year in Ireland!).
Matt McKinley, Creative Editor, SEO
My fiancé and I started an annual tradition of hosting a Christmas movie marathon 3 years ago with our friends. We have a poll to choose the 3 holiday movies to watch. Everyone wears pajamas and stuffs their faces with baked desserts, complete with a hot chocolate bar. Here’s a peek at last year’s dessert tray.
Jennifer Biggerstaff, Senior Director, Strategic Account Management
Growing up, my brother, two cousins, uncle and I would go over to my Grandma’s house to decorate Christmas trees and bake gingerbread men. She would have an individual miniature Christmas trees for each one us, along with ornaments and fake presents to decorate our them. So including her, we would have 6 miniature Christmas trees set up throughout her house. After decorating we’d bake gingerbread men for hours. It was such a treat and one of the most exciting days of the year for us grandkids!
Aryn Kennedy, Project Management Manager, SEO
After my aunt passed away in 1998, another aunt started an annual “Mary Memorial” tradition. She would collect money from all of our relatives to support a Christmas wish program. For several years, she purchased gifts for a boy with cystic fibrosis. Each year, she included a note about who my aunt was and why we did this. After several years, we found out that the boy’s family was distantly related to ours, which made it even more special that we were able to fulfill this boy’s Christmas wishes every year!
Taylor deDiego, Marketing Manager
My favorite holiday tradition is spending Christmas Eve with my dad’s extended family. I have 10 aunts and uncles and 22 cousins which equates to about 20-30 people gathering at my grandpa’s house every year. Over the years our family has grown exponentially, and now I am no longer one of the youngest grandchildren. I have officially graduated from the kid’s table (although I still opt for the sparkling cider. It’s just so delicious!).
What are your favorite holiday traditions? We’d love to hear ‘em!
