Elves and ornaments. Carols and candy. Gifts and giving.

Kids tell us their favorite holiday traditions

For years, Elf on the Shelf has meant Christmas to Cloe Stickney.

Three years to be exact. Almost half her life.

In Decembers past, the elf has been found playing in a bowl of marshmallows, eating jelly beans out of a candy cane-shaped container and having tea in Barbie’s dollhouse. Recently, she was spotted walking on the ceiling.

“You can’t touch her because she’ll lose her magic,” said Cloe, newly 8. “She’s one of Santa’s elves.”

From tree trimming to family dinners to roving magical elves, ’tis the season for holiday traditions.

We asked second-graders at Park Avenue Elementary School and third- and fourth-graders at Walton Elementary School in Auburn to talk about their holiday customs. Some were fun. Others funny. Some long running. Others just beginning.

There was also talk of course, inevitably, about Christmas morning. And presents. Oh, the wondrous presents.

But what did they prize most often? Family.

Akol Akol, 7

To Akol, Christmas night always means Christmas dinner.

It’s usually a big affair. It often includes “chicken and stuff.” It always includes family.

He’s clear on what he loves about it.

“How all sit at the table and eat together and talk,” he said.

Brionna O’Day, 8

For most of the year, Brionna is a typical grade-schooler. For Christmas, she turns into a decorating ninja.

Every year, Brionna tries to trim her family’s Christmas tree by herself without her family noticing. Sometimes her dogs serve as a helpful family distraction. Other times she just tries to be quiet, and quick.

Brionna’s goal: decorate the entire tree before anyone notices.

She did it once. Well, all except for the tree topper. She’s not tall enough to put that on herself.

This year, Brionna’s covert decorating wasn’t quite so successful.

“They kind of caught me,” she said

But she still likes trying. The tree is a Christmas gift to her family.

“It’s kind of like surprising them,” she said.

Dylan Christl, 7

Christmas Eve — every Christmas Eve — Dylan gets into her reindeer pajamas, dons her reindeer antler headband and throws on her glowing Christmas light necklace. She leaves out cookies for Santa and carrots for Rudolph. Then gets ready.

Because as much as she likes wearing her reindeer PJs and leaving cookies for Santa, the very best part of the holiday comes early in the morning.

“Opening Christmas presents,” she said.

Cloe Stickney, 8

Cloe clearly remembers the day “Elf on the Shelf” arrived. She was 5.

“She was like in a big box. . . you opened it and it had Christmas trees on it, in the inside, and then there was like a picture of Elf on the Shelf and it said ‘Elf on the Shelf’ and if you opened it, it had her in a book.”

The elf — named Flower — arrives the day after Thanksgiving and leaves with Santa on Christmas Eve. In between, Santa’s lookout sneaks around the house, climbing furniture, hanging out on the ceiling, celebrating Cloe’s December birthday.

Cloe loves the elf’s funny antics, but her mere appearance every year is special.

“Just, it’s like it’s Christmas,” Cloe said.

Katherine Ackley, 7

Every year, Katherine and her family decorate their Christmas tree — lights first, then ornaments.

It’s fun, and she likes helping, but this year Katherine hopes to kick off a new decorating tradition for herself: putting the family’s delicate glass ornaments on the tree.

She might be able to handle them. Her mom has promised to consider it.

“I’m old enough to do them this year,” Kathrine said. “Last year I couldn’t because I was only 6.”

Gavin Anderson, 8

Every Christmas Eve, Gavin’s family gets together at his great-grandparents’ house in Turner and sings carols.

Aunts. Uncles. Cousins. Parents. Grandparents. It’s a big group. And it’s a tradition that’s been going on for decades — at least since Gavin’s father was born.

Gavin doesn’t have a favorite carol. But the gathering is one of his favorite traditions.

“I like it,” he said. “I like that I get to spend time with my family.”

Imani Downing, 7

Imani’s Christmas traditions are pretty traditional: A tree. Presents.

And candy. There’s been known to be candy.

“We do sometimes eat our candy,” she said.

Christmas morning has always been reserved for opening gifts. Or at least for as long as she can remember. How long ago is that?

“Like, a lot,” Imani said.

Damion Gerding-Shaw, 7

Every year, Damion, his little brother and his grandmother decorate the family Christmas tree. Though this year it might have a bare spot or two.

“Some of (the decorations) were glass and my brother kept on dropping them,” Damion said. “And I accidentally bumped into one and one fell. And broke.”

But come Christmas morning, the decorated tree will be waiting as Damion repeats his own personal tradition: waking up the family.

Early.

“I’m the first one awake on Christmas day and I wake Grammy up and my brother and my dad and my grampy,” Damion said. Then he amended, “But not my grampy. He gets really mad when I wake him up. I wake almost everybody up.”

Or maybe his grandfather’s OK with it after all.

“On Christmas, my grampy doesn’t get mad that I wake him up because it’s Christmas,” Damion said.

Autumn Palmer, 7

On Christmas Eve, Autumn’s family invites the neighbors over. They sit around the fire pit with toasted marshmallows and graham crackers — gluten free, please — in hand.

It’s fun being with everyone. Though the best part, to Autumn at least, definitely involves the marshmallows.

“We get to eat them,” she said.

Annabelle Woodman, 9

In Annabelle’s family, the focus of Christmas is giving.

A few days before Christmas, her mother tells her the story of the real St. Nicholas and his work helping the poor.

“Back then there were really, really poor people and kids were dying from it because they were poor,” Annabelle said. “Like, Santa would sneak food into their shoes and stuff.”

After the holiday, Annabelle packs up her old toys to donate to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

The annual traditions have left an impression.

“I think it’s really nice because poor people are suffering from coldness and hunger and thirst,” she said. “I like how most of (the traditions) are about helping other people.”

Phoenix Jalbert, 8

Every Christmas, Phoenix and his family observe a moment of silence.

“Because of Jesus,” he explained.

They pause after opening gifts, quiet settling in after the spirited exchange of presents. It’s something the family has done since Phoenix was 4.

“I like that first we get to open our presents,” he said. “And then we have a good reason to celebrate.”

Sawyer Tomlinson, 8

For years, the youngest child in Sawyer’s family has gotten the honor of placing the topper on the Christmas tree — an angel or a star or “a sharp pointy thing.”

Sawyer held the job for four years. He loved it.

“My grandfather used to lift me up,” Sawyer said. “Now that he’s older, he can’t. So my mom does it.”

The job of tree topper-er has since passed to Sawyer’s 4-year-old cousin, but Sawyer didn’t mind. There are other Christmas traditions to look forward to: ice skating, sledding, drinking hot chocolate in the car as they ride around and look at the holiday lights.

His favorite stop is at a home that displays a dancing light show and broadcasts accompanying music over the car radio. But Sawyer likes something else even more.

“That I’m with my family,” he said.

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Editor’s note: We spoke to more than two dozen children at Park Avenue and Walton elementary schools in Auburn. We didn’t have room to include every student in the story, but you can see more photos from our interviews and the children’s favorite traditions online at sunjournal.com.

Tradition: Eating together

Tradition: Decorating the whole tree alone

Tradition: Opening presents

Tradition: Elf on a shelf

Tradition: Hanging glass ornaments

Tradition: Family singing

Tradition: Tree, presents, candy

Tradition: Waking family on Christmas

Tradition: Family fire pit

Tradition: Family togetherness

Tradition: Seeing grandparents

Tradition: Decorating the Christmas tree