Many of us gather with friends and family during the holidays for a variety of reasons. We shop together, bake with one another, share special meals, plan cruise get-togethers, go to church, exchange presents, give thanks, participate in football games and even dress alike on occasion.

You shared joyful stories with Publix News about your own holiday traditions, including ways you enjoy spending quality time with your nearest and dearest.

No matter the obstacles — be it distance, scheduling or cost — our Publix associates believe in their traditions and will move mountains just to be with loved ones.

And if you’re looking for a special way to bring your clan closer this year, these exceptional stories will give you an incentive to come up with a tradition of your very own to make memories that last a lifetime.

Buyer Ashley Suarez
“Every year my mother buys our family matching pajamas — even for the dog. She starts shopping several months in advance to try to find a good print and all of the sizes she needs. It’s always fun to see what she comes up with. We wear them on Christmas Eve; after dinner, we open presents, take family photos and all of us sleep over at my parents’ house. We then eat a big breakfast in the morning and open the gifts from Santa for the small kids.”

Grocery Replenishment Specialist Diane Johnston
#709, Bradenton, Florida
“Ever since I started working at Publix more than nine years ago, our associates gather the day before Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve for a traditional holiday meal with ham, turkey and all of the trimmings, with plenty of sides and desserts. Each associate brings their favorite dish to share, and friends and family members are always welcome. As the AVS team leader, I organize the holiday meals. When Richard Nelson was new as our store manager, I asked if he wanted to plan something different for one of the meals. He was adamant when he said no, ‘Because there are some associates who might not get a traditional meal.’ And he’s right. I am very thankful to be able to enjoy these meals with my Publix #709 family, because my own family lives so far away. In return, I fill 150 treat bags with candy and hand them out to my fellow associates and managers.”

Store Manager Becky Hranicky
#1077, Kennesaw, Georgia
“If you like a little rock with your Christmas, you gotta check out the Hrockin Hranicky Christmas Lights display in Acworth, Georgia, hosted by myself, my husband Chip, who is a grocery RIS for Publix, and my son Greg. This will be our eighth year sharing our Christmas lights with the community. The display is synchronized to music and offers a dizzying array of moving lights and dramatic music stops.

“This will be our third year having Flowering Branch Children Shelter, an agency of United Way, come out for their own blocked night, where they are served hot chocolate and sweets. We combine the invitation with Publix associates from #1096, Acworth, and #1077, Kennesaw, to hang out and enjoy the show right alongside the kids. Our display runs every day from Nov. 27 through Jan. 1. While we enjoy passing along the magical Christmas spirit to our community, we’re motivated to continue when visitors tell us how much they enjoy our show. The best compliments include community members who make it a tradition to stop by our house every year, and when we’re told that visiting our house reminds them of going to Disney World.”

Deli Clerk Patricia Ruiz Baca
#1219, Lutz, Florida
“My favorite tradition for New Year’s Eve is the countdown, then eating 12 grapes right after the clock hits 12 a.m. on Jan. 1. Each grape represents one month in the following year. I make a wish for each month and eat one grape at a time. After finishing the grapes, our family drinks cider and makes a toast. We ask blessings from God for the following year to come, and then we take a family picture!”

Legal Assistant Miranda Martinez
“My family celebrates Christmas Eve with our annual Martinez Family Pig Roast. This tradition is special to me because it was started by my grandparents when they emigrated from Cuba in the 1960s. When I was little, we held the roast at my grandparents’ house, but later moved it alternating between my uncle’s or parents’ house. My siblings and I look forward to this event every year because it brings our entire family together — grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, extended family and close friends. The pig roast starts early in the morning and goes throughout the day, with relatives from near and far stopping in all throughout the afternoon. Everyone brings a dish to share, and we all take turns kissing the pig for good luck before we eat! After the roast is over, our immediate family cleans up, we exchange presents and then go to church together on Christmas Eve. It’s a tradition I look forward to continuing with my family for many years to come!”

Assistant Store Manager Paul Curry
#1148, Greenville, South Carolina
“For me, the holiday tradition is to enjoy family time together. We gather around the dinner table to enjoy a meal together and take turns sharing something we are grateful for.”

Customer Service Staff Dawn Barber
#1379, Clemson, South Carolina
“Our big tradition is to gather as a family to open gifts. We ask the youngest child to play Santa by handing out all the gifts to family. Once all the gifts have been safely delivered, the oldest member of the group then opens all his or her gifts. This continues going around to each person in order of age until the youngest member has opened their gifts. This allows us to see what everyone has received.”

Bakery Buyer Aaron Malo
“For as long as I can remember, my family gets together on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve at my parents’ house to make — from scratch — and bake our holiday pies. The flavors include pumpkin, apple pumpkin, and apple with peanut butter crunch topping. The tradition wouldn’t be complete without making an extra pie or two to serve that night with Publix Premium French Vanilla ice cream while the pies are still warm from the oven.”

Store Manager Kris Butler
#874, Greenville, South Carolina
“On Christmas morning, our family opens gifts together, and then we head to Waffle House for breakfast. At the end of breakfast, I give my children $50 to tip the waitress. I want to teach them how fortunate they are and how important it is to give back.”

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Front Service Clerk Mary Brasseale,
#745, Madison, Alabama
“My family has a very unique tradition that my mom started almost 10 years ago. We take ordinary tiles from a Scrabble board game, put them face down in a basket and then everyone draws a single tile. Next, we say thanks and go around in a circle having each person state something they’re thankful for, starting with the letter from the corresponding tile they drew. But, if someone draws the letter F, they’re not allowed to use faith, friends or family. When my siblings and I were little, we hated this activity and even tried to hide the tiles. But as we’ve all gotten older, it has started to mean something special. We even call my two sisters in Seattle, put them on speakerphone and draw letters for them. It’s amazing how something that was once such a pain has become so special. It is truly how the little things have brought my family such fond, lasting memories.”

Cashier Deborah Barrs,
#1488, Winter Park, Florida
“When it’s time for me to start baking those holiday cookies, a memory of my four sons making their hand cookies comes to mind — a tradition started more than 40 years ago. I would lay their little hands on the cookie dough, carefully cut around them and then bake those sweet hand cookies with the rest of the cookies. The boys would line up, side by side in front of the cookie shaped from their own hand, and decorate it in their very own style. I really came up with this idea to keep them busy while I decorated the rest of the cookies, but instead, what fun memories it created for me when we were all laughing and joking together. It must have meant something special to them, because one of my sons called a few years back and asked if I would make the hand cookies with my first grandson. I now continue this tradition with my four grandchildren, and one more on the way. I’m happy to create new memories with the next generation.”

Store Manager Ray Peters,
#205, Easley, South Carolina
“For the holidays, there is a big family gathering at my house. Despite our family not being able to keep in touch, see each other or communicate much throughout the year, the holidays have become a time when everyone reunites as a family.”

Customer Service Staff Charmane Harris,
#576, Greenville, South Carolina
“After Thanksgiving dinner, we officially turn on our display of house lights — inside and out — to welcome Christmas. The lights started out small with our three children, then we added a little more each year. Cars now stop in front of our house to look at the lights. The smiles on the faces of the children and neighbors make all the work that goes into it worth it! We start Nov. 1 and work all the way until Thanksgiving to get the lights up and ready. From the inside to the outside, every room of the house is decorated. There are bulbs, snowflakes and icicles hanging everywhere, not to mention all the pine, lights and holly. We continue to add to the holiday through Christmas with handmade gifts, ornaments and goodies

Assistant Store Manager Jonathan Lockwood,
#360, Anderson, South Carolina
“For the past 25 years, my mom has made cookie dough from scratch. The children in the family get the opportunity to help decorate the cookies and eat the cookie dough. They still use the same cookie cutters I used as a child, but now it’s my children who help make the cookies.”

Assistant Store Manager John Rozier,
#1473, Asheville, North Carolina
“We have a friendly competition between boys and girls to build the best gingerbread houses. The judging is done by the first visitor after the houses have been built. We’ve done this every year, and, so far, the girls have won. But, the boys are getting older, so the big question is: Who will win this year?”

DSD Clerk Faye Jones,
#745, Madison, Alabama
“Every year I invite 30 or 40 people to my house for Thanksgiving and Christmas, including family and friends. If my children or I hear someone is going to be alone for the holidays, then they’re invited to my house, because we will have plenty of food! It doesn’t matter creed or color. I start three days before by setting up banquet tables and decorations. The day before the holiday, I start preparing any food I can in advance. All my children bring a dish, and some of their friends will bring a favorite dish too. Depending on the weather, we play cornhole, ball or anything else our guests suggest.”

Pharmacy Technician Katherine Guastella,
#643, New Port Richey, Florida
“My family’s Thanksgiving tradition is a little different than some. We begin the evening before Thanksgiving, when all the ladies cook a dish of their own to bring to our family picnic. Then, on Thanksgiving morning, we gather all our cold food items and drinks and make a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts early in the morning, because America runs on Dunkin, of course! We drive to Anderson Park in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and look for the perfect spot for our family picnic. Then, we just relax and enjoy the nature and sounds around us. We scan the newspaper for Black Friday ads, looking to find the perfect deals for our shopping. Around noon, my grandmother and the rest of the family arrive with the hot foods, such as ham and turkey. Once all the relatives have arrived, we begin to eat our Thanksgiving lunch/dinner while enjoying the peaceful day in the park. Sometimes we go on boat rides, hike or play cards and games together. Our ultimate goal for Thanksgiving is no one person is responsible for fixing a huge meal. The work is shared equally because everyone brings their favorite Thanksgiving dish, and no one has to do dirty dishes because we use paper plates in the park. The best part is everyone gets to just relax and enjoy each other’s company.”

Customer Service Staff Megan Streitz,
#215, Palm Bay, Florida
“Our store has a tradition for Thanksgiving. Every year, our teams at #215 [Palm Bay, Florida] and #1353 [West Melbourne, Florida] have a Turkey Bowl, where we play football against each other. Publix, for many of our associates, is a second home. This Thanksgiving tradition gives everyone who wants to be involved a chance to spend time with friends outside of work.”

Deli Clerk Bridgette Martin,
#1415, Knoxville, Tennessee
“Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year because of the cooking that happens. It’s my time to shine! Every year we have the standard fare — turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc. But, we include a surprise dish on the menu, something new I haven’t made before. My sister moved to Knoxville about two years ago, and she now picks out a recipe, too. The best part is teaching her how to cook what she has chosen, especially since she is lacking in kitchen skills. We do a trial run of our chosen recipe a couple of weeks before to work out the kinks, and then we do it again on the big day. This year, I’m trying Scalloped Pumpkin Potatoes.”

Cashier Robert Fulcher,
#1030, Port Saint Lucie, Florida
“This picture was taken at Christmas in 1971. It’s a favorite memory because it was the first time in three years that our whole family was together. I’m in the upper left corner and had just returned from Vietnam and Japan with the Marines.”

Assistant Customer Service Manager Pamela Sadowsky, #818, Boynton Beach, Florida
“The Sadowsky family’s favorite tradition is that everyone is together for a day on Thanksgiving. As long as we’re all together!”

Corporate Marketing Communications Manager Stephanie VanDerwerker
“My family has an annual tradition on Christmas morning — finding the Christmas pickle. The Christmas pickle is a pickle ornament, which is hidden on the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. A German tradition says whoever finds the Christmas pickle in the holiday tree will enjoy good luck all year. On Christmas morning, the first person to find the Christmas pickle gets an extra present, and then that person is responsible for hiding the Christmas pickle and providing the extra present the following year. It is a really fun tradition and adds a little more excitement to Christmas morning.”

Manager of Medical Administration Sheri Richter, Risk Management
“I am the oldest of four children. My parents each passed away when they were 59, more than 25 years ago. Before their passing, all of the siblings and the grandchildren would gather at the farm in Ohio for Thanksgiving dinner. From the time we were young and up through our adult lives when we had children, we would go around the table and each of us were required to share a blessing we had received during that year. Some of the blessings were funny, some were poignant, but all of them were thankful. Since Mom’s passing, I inherited the role of family matriarch and now host Thanksgiving dinner in my Lakeland home. As part of my Thanksgiving table setting, I use my mother’s worn out dishes from 50 years ago and the bride and groom cake topper from my parent’s wedding cake as the centerpiece. We still share our blessings, one by one, though sometimes the grandkids do it reluctantly. When everyone has had a turn, I always end by declaring the greatest blessing of all was being raised by such wonderful parents in a home of love and support. Some of us cry a little and some of us laugh. After dinner, invariably someone will laugh and say, “We look just like a Publix commercial!”

Industrial Maintenance Parts Person Stacey Paulin
“Even though our kids are now 27 and 22, we have a tradition we’ve done every year since they were very small. The kids expect Santa to drop off a package or two on the roof. Here’s a picture of my daughter, Marissa retrieving hers. I don’t think I will ever get out of what I started, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Real Estate Assistant Amanda Destiny Anderson
“Every year on a random day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my mom tells us that Santa stopped by the house and left us presents. Once we were older and had moved out of the family home, Mom began sending us pictures of the presents from Santa by the front door and would tell us to come over that night for dinner. She prepares a huge family dinner, and we spend the evening together, watching Christmas movies and opening the present Santa dropped off. It’s always been one of my favorite traditions.”