Traditions are often thought to be glorious celebrations that come to be over time. However, I have a few traditions of my own that are not quite what one would think of when on the subject. Each has special meaning to me and an interesting story as to how it started and progressed.

Every year, two weeks before Christmas my family and I put up our Christmas tree. We buy the usual Frasier Fir tree, bring up the ornaments and decorations from downstairs and put on Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. How or why this started, I have no idea. I do know that the Christmas season has not begun until Home Alone is on and we start decorating our tree. After seeing the movie a minimum or 15 times I know each and every line by heart. From Harry and Marv’s new nickname, the “Sticky Bandits”, to Kevin’s $967 room service bill from the Plaza Hotel I can just about give anyone any piece of information they’d like to know about the movie. Decorating our Christmas tree and watching Home Alone 2, a tradition that is sure to live on throughout my years.

However, that is just one of my traditions, the list is goes on. Wake up, drink chocolate milk, go to school. This is my morning routine Monday through Friday during the school year. Since my freshman year of high school I have drank chocolate milk with my breakfast. Why is this? Again, I don’t know. All I know is that my day doesn’t officially start until I finish my glass of chocolate milk. This isn’t any ordinary chocolate milk either. It’s my special blend of half Organic Valley 1% white milk and half Deans 1% chocolate milk. These two make the perfect mixture for a delicious glass of chocolate milk. Yet another tradition that I will carry with me for years to come.

My traditions don’t end there, though. When someone thinks of magic water they would likely think it’s a silly drink a child made up that gives him or her super powers. In my case, it is the official drink of my baseball team. The tradition of the magic water began in sixth grade during a travel baseball game. Joey, a teammate of mine, took a slug of water from my bottle before he went up to bat. He got a base hit on the first pitch. Thus, of course, deeming the water magical. From then on magic water must be brought to every game in case someone needed some “magic”. Not only was the water magical, but it always tasted perfect was always cold, this was due to the fact that there was an ice pack in the holder the bottle was in, but that never really clicked with anyone. Joey and Mo often stole the magic water in attempt to keep it for themselves and Jordan and Brett always had some magic before they went up to bat in a tight situation. Just one more tradition that I can add to the list.

While my traditions may not be exactly in the norm, they are just that, traditions. Traditions that I will have and remember forever.