No matter how the world may change, some things always stay the same. For many families, those are holiday traditions. Though each family may celebrate the holidays differently, within families there are certain habits, rituals, and activities that are important enough to do every year, whether it be where to go, what to eat, or even how to exchange gifts.

“We celebrate Christmas as Jesus’ birthday, so every year we bake a cake for Jesus,” said Claudia Limoges, of Auburn. “And then we get to have cake for breakfast!” Food plays a large role in the holiday for a lot of families.

• “My mom and I always have Canadian ginger ale,” said Samantha Alexander, of Augusta.

• Alex Poulin, of Lewiston, and her family always eat Chinese food and open one gift each on Christmas Eve.

• John Pietila, of Lewiston, and his family usher in the new year with a food tradition: “We have lobster at midnight every New Year’s Eve!”

Others have gift-related traditions: Samantha Depoy-Warren and husband Kyle, of Portland, give one another a book each night of Hanukkah. It’s a fun and sentimental way to stock up on some great new reads.

For Patti LeBlanc, of Auburn, the holidays start early and last as long as possible. “We always had advent calendars, and each day, starting December 1st, my son and daughter would go downstairs and open their advent calendars and they’d each have a gift waiting on the couch that they could pick up, shake, and put under the Christmas tree,” she said. “It was a fun thing to do – I got to play Christmas Elf, and we built up to Christmas day in a fun way. We even have a countdown ornament on our tree.”

Holiday traditions can range from the sentimental to the silly. “On Christmas Eve, my family gets together with my brother’s family and we have dinner and do a Yankee Swap with goofy gifts,” LeBlanc said. “You never know what you’re going to get – you could luck out with a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card or wind up with a toilet-shaped piggy bank that makes a flushing noise. It’s an adventure!”

No matter the traditions, it’s nice to just spend some quality time with family and friends. Looking to start some new traditions? It’s never too late. Here are a few ideas:

• Choose a holiday movie that you and your family enjoy (classics include “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “Home Alone,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “A Christmas Story,” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”) and make it a point every year to pop some popcorn, cozy up, and enjoy the flick together.

• Have a favorite baked good? Spend some time in the kitchen together on Christmas eve cooking them up, and then enjoy them together on Christmas day.

• Love to travel? Make it a point to pick up a holiday ornament from every new place you visit.

• Celebrating Hanukkah? Choose a theme for each day’s gifts (i.e. you give books on the first day, movies on the second day, clothing on the third, something homemade on the fourth, etc.). Everyone will get creative and it’ll be a fun thing to look forward to together.

• If you just want to spend some quality time with loved ones, have an annual pot-luck gathering where everyone can get together and have fun. To spice things up, do a different theme every year for dress and food (i.e. Hawaiian luau or 50s diner), or change the party’s location every year so different friends and family members take turns hosting.

In the end, the holidays are about spending time with loved ones, so any tradition is great when it means something to you and yours.