Your Holiday Rituals – The New York Times

“Our holiday ritual consists of stretching buñuelos over cheesecloth on our bent knee. We use a secret family recipe that my older sister doesn’t share yet. Everyone is involved on the assembly line according to skill level, mixing, forming testicles, rolling out perfectly round tortillas, stretching and then frying until golden!” – Elma Cadena, San Antonio, Texas

“My family and I burn a Christmas log on the winter solstice. We find an oddly shaped or very large piece of wood, decorate it with twigs, berries, leaves, and other objects as we like, then attach a note or make a mark on the trunk of the tree indicating an intention we have for the coming year . ” – Candace Abraham, Newport, Washington.

“I carry around a $100 bill to tip someone randomly. I go about my business, and when I find someone who needs a pick-me-up, I put the big bill in the usual way: in the barber’s hand, in the glass in the coffee shop, in the server’s wallet. And don’t stick to the reaction. Let them enjoy their surprise in private!” — Jackie Shapiro Brooker, Greenville, SC

“My husband’s family tradition of over 20 years of celebrating a Christmas dinner is what we call ‘mishy mashy’. There is one rule: each person must bring or prepare one food they want to eat. Everything is play and no judgment allowed. Pretzels? Delicious! oyster soup? OK! Reindeer shaped cheese you just bought? Looking good!” – Jen Bowerman, Traverse City, Mich.

“When I was in my early 20s, just before Christmas, my 22-year-old brother died of cancer. As a means of coping, my mom and I took a class where we built a gingerbread house from scratch. Over 40 years later, I continue to have one with my daughters every year at Christmas time.” — Beth Q. Reynolds, Hopkinton, Mass.