Annie Miller

Most people who celebrate Christmas wake up on Dec. 25 to open presents by the tree. This isn’t the case for history teacher Annie Miller, who celebrates the holiday on Christmas Eve — a Catholic and Sicilian tradition passed on from her Sicily-born parents.

On Christmas Eve, Miller’s favorite tradition was to prepare seven different types of fish, a tradition known as The Feast of the Seven Fishes. 

“My parents were not good cooks and not into food, and this is the one night of the year where it was delicious, thoughtful food that was prepared with love and care,” Miller said.

Miller’s love of this tradition has compelled her to pass it down to her children.

“As my parents have gotten older, my brother and I have taken over the cooking. And so that’s been really special and so each year as my kids get older, we involve them a little bit more and more, so when they were tiny, it’d be like ‘help set the table,’” Miller said. “Now they’re starting to get to a point where they can do more. And so I hope that’s a tradition that they might continue.”

Christmas isn’t the only holiday Miller partakes in now — because her husband is Jewish, their family also celebrates Hanukkah. For Miller, celebrating two holidays makes for a wonderful December.

“December rolls around and I am so pumped and so excited,” Miller said.