CONNECTED BY Traditions

There are moments during the holidays too special for ribbons and bows.

The feeling that makes you give your grandmother’s hand a squeeze, press your face closer to your father’s cheek or snuggle a toddler too impatient for dinner can’t be wrapped up in a box. The heart-warming instant when you realize the magic of falling snow, firelight and time with family and friends is real, could never be stuffed into a stocking.

Familiar routines that return us to our childhood help make some of our most treasured holiday traditions. For many families, food helps cast that spell. Some people make the same dish each year, so the routine of rolling and baking, stirring and tasting means it is really Christmas. Those recipes – and the smells that fill the house – connect us to the family members who started the tradition and help us teach their children and grandchildren about the love and comfort they brought into the world.

We asked readers to tell us about those moments. And today we’ll share the stories of four families and the traditions that bring them together, help them celebrate their heritage and make Christmas special each year.

Here are their stories: