NPR listeners share their untraditional holiday traditions

By Matt Ozug,

Linah Mohammad

Published December 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM CST

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Whether you love or hate the holiday season, sometimes things can feel a little repetitive - right? - or inescapable.

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Absolutely, like twinkling lights everywhere, a constant soundtrack of jingling bells, packed parking lots as everyone rushes to buy last-minute gifts or finishing touches for the table.

CHANG: But there are also some truly unique ways in which people make this time of year their own.

SUMMERS: Six years ago, we asked you to send us your most unusual holiday traditions. What set your winter celebrations apart from the pack? And you did not disappoint.

(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)

FRAN DECKER: On Christmas, you have to wear underwear on your head.

LISA ROSOWSKY: And the Hanukkah butt took its place in the living room every Hanukkah.

Presents for...

DENISE MCCANLES: My family passes around my dead cat's tail.

SUMMERS: Now, our tradition of asking for these unorthodox holiday rituals is back. We put out the call, and y'all answered.

CHANG: Thank you. Starting with Danniell Nadiv (ph) who called us from Cincinnati. She observes Hanukkah, which ended earlier this week, and she told us, in her family, every night gets a different theme.

DANNIELL NADIV: One night might be book night, in which we go to an independent bookstore and then spend the night reading together. One night, we might pick out an organization that we want to learn more about and donate to. Each night always ends with us lighting the Hanukkah menorah and bringing a little more light into this world.

CRYSTAL HASAN: My name's Crystal Hasan (ph) from Portland, Oregon, and our family tradition started in 2014, the year my grandma, Lulu (ph), passed away just before her 96th birthday. She passed away early one morning, and my sister and I were supposed to celebrate Christmas with our dad that afternoon. Her passing wasn't unexpected, but the ache was still really fresh that afternoon. And as I was walking out the door, corralling kids and managing packages, I noticed this emergency box of mustaches I'd bought as a gag gift.

(SOUNDBITE OF VINCE GUARALDI TRIO'S "LINUS AND LUCY")

HASAN: And something in me just said, throw it in the bag. It was exactly the silly thing my grandma would have loved. So that evening, we wore them throughout dinner, but every time we opened our mouth, they'd pop off. It was enough silliness to feel like she was still with us. And now every Christmas, I order a new batch. Everyone picks their mustache and wears them as long as we can stand it. Even the dogs get in on it.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE CHRISTMAS WALTZ")

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) Merry Christmas.

STEVE FISHER: Hi, my name's Steve Fisher (ph) from North Granby, Connecticut.

SARAH FISHER: And I am Sarah Fisher (ph) from Spencer, Mass.

STEVE FISHER: My daughter and I started a tradition where we would dress up as Santa and an elf and go around and originally stop random people and hand them candy canes.

SARAH FISHER: (Laughter) Yes, I had a little metal bucket with the small-size candy canes in it.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE CHRISTMAS WALTZ")

FRANK SINATRA: (Singing) Painted candy canes on the tree.

SARAH FISHER: Stop by anyone's house that looked particularly festive if we saw them outside, and if we saw other people in the center of town, generally.

STEVE FISHER: And it started off...

SARAH FISHER: ...On Christmas Eve.

STEVE FISHER: Yeah, and it started off relatively simple - red shirt with Santa hat.

SARAH FISHER: And I had my elf ears, and you had your Santa hat.

STEVE FISHER: And it...

SARAH FISHER: That was pretty much it at first.

STEVE FISHER: And it evolved into a full custom-made Santa costume from antique velvet, and we do it on Christmas Eve, and people seem to you get smiles on their face from it. And that's our Christmas tradition.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE CHRISTMAS WALTZ")

SINATRA: (Singing) And this song of mine in three-quarter time wishes you and yours the same thing, too.

KATRINA ZINGER: Hello. This is Katrina Zinger (ph) from Boston. But my unique holiday tradition is tied to my hometown, Gainesville, Florida, where I spend Christmas with my family. Every Christmas Eve, my family goes to donate blood together. Most years, we have six or eight of us that go to donate, and we even have some nondonors, like my 2-year-old niece, keeping us company during the donations. Now, before you go giving my family too much credit for being selfless, I should add that in our own way we turn this moment of giving into cut-throat competition. We're challenging each other over who has the highest iron count or the best blood pressure, and we're racing to have the fastest blood donation time.

Over the years, we've started to recognize some of the staff working every Christmas Eve, and I think that they remember us and our antics, too. So, LifeSouth on 13th Street, if you're listening, we've got our family appointment scheduled for the morning of Christmas Eve this year, and we're really looking forward to another year of holiday blood donation. Happy holiday.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HAPPY HOLIDAY/THE HOLIDAY SEASON")

ANDY WILLIAMS: (Singing) Happy holiday.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) Happy holiday.

WILLIAMS: (Singing) Happy holiday.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) Happy holiday.

COLEEN BREMNER: Hi. My name's Coleen Bremner (ph), and I'm based in Washington, D.C. From the time I was small, I remember the excitement of running to my stocking to see what was inside. And without fail, once I dumped everything out, there would be a wrapped can of olives and a fresh, delicious orange. And this tradition actually goes back to the Great Depression in my family, when an orange and a can of olives were a symbol of luxury. This was something my gaga (ph), who has since passed - my grandmother - carried on from her family that I plan to carry on with my own. Everyone in my family knows they can count on these two small gifts each year. Regardless of what happens, it's a forever constant for us. And I'm so grateful for this meaningful tradition, and I'm just really excited to share it with my little one now, and now all of you.

SUE PAULSEN: This is Sue Paulsen (ph) in Petersburg, Alaska, a small fishing town on an island 90 miles south of Juneau. One Christmas, about 40 years ago, my mom said, let's write a song and crash some Christmas parties. We parodied a familiar tune and had fun all over town. It became a tradition. And though Mom is gone, a friend and I continue with verses about our town, the fishing industry, the state of Alaska and our nation. Nothing too harsh. Here's a verse from this year's song.

(Singing) Merry Christmas, USA. Grocery prices, hard to pay. Good luck with health care bills. Get your vaccines while you may.

SHELLY SOURS: I'm Shelly Sours (ph), and I live in Frontenac, Kansas. In 2005, my 4-year-old son wanted to stay up and play Mario Party for New Year's Eve.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SOURS: That started a now 20-year tradition. Even though my 25- and 21-year-old sons live hours away now, they and their girlfriends still choose to come home to play with me, my husband Del (ph) and their little brother. Everyone has won at least one game, except me. But maybe this year will be my year.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

CHERYL BEESE: Hi, this is Cheryl Beese (ph) from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and every December since 1995, my family has gotten together and watched "A Christmas Story."