Thanksgiving kicked off the holiday season, and I couldn’t be more excited. For Thanksgiving my family decided to have a laid-back holiday where we all wore pajamas. My mom’s side of the family came over to my house for dinner and dessert.

We also added a new tradition to Thanksgiving, and everyone participated in a White Elephant. Everyone was supposed to bring a $10 Christmas-themed gift. We all drew our numbers and picked gifts from a pile; and if we wanted to, we could steal an already opened gift from a number below us. Some of the gifts were a Christmas blanket, outdoor Christmas mat, Christmas decorations and more. I ended up with a mini Christmas tree-shaped cornhole, which I am so excited to play!

Although Thanksgiving has passed, I am looking forward to other holiday activities I have planned this season. As I am writing this, I am getting ready for a trip to New York with my family to see Wicked on Broadway. I have never seen the show before but have heard great things, so I’m excited. Although that’s not a holiday show, we are going to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree and other decorations.

This upcoming weekend, I am going to see The Nutcracker in Philadelphia with my cousin and some of our friends. We are also going to the Christmas Village in Center City, where a bunch of local vendors come to sell goods and products. The booths and all the surrounding areas are decorated with garlands and Christmas ornaments. There are also delicious treats and drinks!

I love this time of year and am excited to do all these Christmas activities.

— Mary Melnick, social media and editorial coordinator