Every family has its own traditions for every holiday. Some traditions might be unusual to outsiders, but that doesn’t make the tradition any less special. And Christmas traditions are some of the most heartwarming traditions around.
Santa
In Piute County there is a tradition of Santa coming to visit all the homes of children on Christmas day. Santa visits Junction, Circileville, Kingston and Marysvale. Santa gives all the children brown bags filled with candy, peanuts, chocolate and cinnamon bears. This memorable tradition is one near and dear to the hearts of Piute County citizens. All the children in the towns look forward to being greeted by Santa on the fire truck the morning of Christmas day.
‘Senior Tree’
Another Christmas tradition that Piute County does is the high school’s “senior tree.” Every year during Christmas time, the seniors of Piute High put up a tree and hang their senior pictures on it, along with other decorations. This is another bonding experience for the seniors to help them come together before their final year of high school comes to an end. The senior tree helps spruce the high school up with some Christmas cheer and fills the hall with some laughs as the seniors put the tree up and decorate it.
‘The Senior Elf Auction’
The seniors of Piute High School also do an auction every year during Christmastime. It is called, “The Senior Elf Auction.” Students and faculty are able to have an auction with the senior class. Every senior is bought and is given little tasks to do for the week before school gets let out. The seniors then become “elves” who must do whatever their buyer, or “Santa,” wishes, except a few minor actions. All the money made from the auction goes to the senior class and helps pay their funds.
Piute County’s heartwarming — if a little unusual — Christmas traditions will surely make the season one to remember for the community.
– by Ari Hurdsman (17) Junction
Feature image caption: Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas! Courtesy Dahlia B. (9) Cannonville.
Read more about Piute High School’s fun small town traditions in Piute Juniors Put On ‘Enchanted’ 2023 Prom.
Ari Hurdsman – Junction
Ari Hurdsman is a junior journalist at the Byway. She just recently moved to Ephraim, Utah, where she is a freshman at Snow College. She enjoys writing about Piute sports, and she’s really good at it! In her free time, she enjoys singing, dancing, reading and hanging out with friends and family.