SANDPOINT — As the countdown to Christmas comes to an end, a few Bonner County staff reminisced about favorite holiday traditions, new and old.

“One unique Christmas tradition that my family has comes from my wife's family,” said county planner Jake Gabell. 

Every Christmas Eve, Gabell’s children each get a new Christmas ornament to hang on their tree.

“The idea is that when they are all grown up and are on their own, they have a box of ornaments to hang on their Christmas tree and can remember the previous Christmas days they had with family,” he said.

Bonner County operations manager Jessi Reinbold said her favorite holiday tradition started roughly five years ago — hosting Christmas Eve for her loved ones.

“Family and friends join us and we play games, eat and usually do some type of gift exchange,” she said. “It is all very fun and festive.”

County Clerk Mike Rosedale said his favorite holiday traditions begin right after Thanksgiving is over.

“One of my family’s favorite holiday traditions is to join my kids at the Blue Heron restaurant in Samuels some time just after Thanksgiving for breakfast,” he said. “We then take our Department of Forestry tree tags and get our Christmas trees together somewhere in our vast National Forest.”

Rosedale then said the family returns home with their plunder and continues to feast, usually on abundant Thanksgiving leftovers.

“We love spending time with family and this is one of the times we most look forward to,” he added.

Bonner County deputy clerk Alissa Schoeffel said her favorite traditions — similar to Gabell’s — stem all the way back to her childhood.

“One of my favorite traditions from when I was a kid, that I continue with my kiddo and my siblings continue with their kids, is on Christmas Eve before bed, you get to open a gift and it is always new pjs and a Christmas tree ornament,” she said. “When our kids are out of our homes, they will have a start for their Christmas tree ornaments for their own home.”