By: Victoria Autocunas
December 2, 2025
Red Ribbon Wreath from Home Depot symbolizing the one Victoria Autocunas has at home (Source: Home Depot)
All throughout my life, I have had lights all over my house for Christmas time. Green, red, yellow, you name it. My favorites were always the ones that went around the door and the wreath. The wreath is the same as it always has been. Green with a red ribbon on the top. I always see it, in my mind's eye, even if it’s not up. A very core memory for me in my childhood.
Getting older, Christmas means more to me than it did when I was a kid. It used to be about presents, but the traditions are now the most important for me. The traditions have stayed the same all throughout the years. My family and I were never very religious people, so traditions like lights, music, and presents were what it is all about for us. Having family and friends around as well. The same for Christmas Eve, the same Christmas Day.
Christmas Eve starts with me waking up and then waiting for Santa all day. I still believe in Santa to keep that child-like innocence in me forever. Then we have dinner and go to bed. I still track Santa on the Norad Tracker. I still have a hard time sleeping at night; I just have since I was a kid, and I still do for some reason.
Christmas Day looks like me waking up my parents at 6 am (still at 21) and then opening presents. It looks like this every year. Like I said, no matter how old I get, I will always have the spirit of Christmas within me. There is definitely some sort of sustenance, whether it is breakfast food or hot chocolate.
I always just chill after that because at 3 pm we usually have a Christmas Party to attend. I never know what to wear so my brain explodes and my ears steam like a cartoon character. I always look forward to the food they have at the party. Very American food. Pasta and ham. Man, I love food.
After that, I go home and sleep after a tiring day. The Christmas days are very tiring. Although there are always so many things going on during the days of Christmas, the one thing I will always remember is the wreath with the red ribbon.