• I hate waiting till New Year's Eve, but the wait sure is worth it. My mom started a tradition a decade ago. Ten years ago, she announced before the 31st of December, the family writes down that they will be attending the party and writes all the names on a piece of paper just the right size to fit in either a hat or a cup. Once all the names are written down, she visits or they visit to pick out a paper from the cup or hat which either my mom chooses for the year. Once you've gotten your assigned name, you go out to buy whatever you think the person's interest is before the 31st, and the rule is to not spend over $100.  Once everyone has arrived and has eaten the pozole my grandma has made, we all gather around and everyone takes a turn going in the middle to say the other person's name, take a picture and unwrap the presents. After all that, everyone has a great time eating more food or doing whatever it is to kill time till the ball drops in celebration of the new year. The tradition might look like not much, but for our family, it's so meaningful and we don't plan on stopping this.

– Cassy Vazquez

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant