My favorite childhood holiday memories are filled with large gatherings, laughter, and many, many overlapping voices. This holiday season, to fill that void, I've decided to be even more deliberate about how I celebrate, decorate, and preserve traditions.
Holiday traditions in my family have always centered around my Gullah heritage. Preserving our Gullah Geechee culture—rich in West African influences on everything from cuisine, farming, and fishing traditions to beliefs and practices—has always been a key component of our heritage, with customs passed down through generations of family.