Christmas Day Treasure Hunt

In my family, my brother, sister, and I each got a bicycle when we were 10. But our parents didn’t just park them under the tree with a big bow—they made us work for them!

My brother was first. He found a wrapped spool of thread under the tree and had to follow the attached thread, rewinding as he went, all around the house. He eventually followed it all the way down to the back side of our basement, where he finally discovered the bike.

My 10th Christmas came a couple of years later, and my mom created a treasure hunt of clues for me, with the first one being in my gift of a jewelry box under the tree. I followed each clue to practically every room in the house, and was finally directed to go to the basement. I thought for sure my bike would be where my brother’s had been, but no… I had another clue directing me back upstairs to the tree, and there was my bike!

I saved all those clues in my jewelry box. When my sister turned 10 several years later, my mom asked me for the clues I’d saved, and she reworked them a little so my sister could have the fun of searching for her bike, too.

It made for a fun memory for each of us that we still treasure today!

— Debbi, Middletown

Sisters Exchange Same Card for 65 Years

As families across Ohio celebrate Christmas with their own traditions, two sisters continue their tradition of exchanging the same Christmas card each year—a ritual that has lasted 65 years.

Becky Shilling and Wanda Hockenberry’s tradition began in 1960, when Shilling was 11, and her newly married sister sent the family a Christmas card for the first time.

They have exchanged the poinsettia-themed card every year since, adding brief notes and signatures from other relatives. The card has also traveled as far as Germany and Spain.

The card is starting to show its age—as are the sisters, by their own acknowledgment. “Wanda is 86 years old, and I am 76 years old. I only pray I don’t forget when I have it in my possession,” Shilling quipped.

You can see a photo of the card here.

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➤ Most stores across Ohio are closed today, but some CVS, Walgreens, and Starbucks locations will open for limited hours. Many gas stations and convenience stores, including Circle K and Sheetz, are also open. (Details)

➤ Gahanna resident Bob Eckstein, who survived pancreatic cancer in 2020, has kept his 47-year Christmas display tradition going with more than 150 lawn decorations that would cost about $30,000 to recreate today. (Watch)

➤ Regular customers of a Skyline Chili restaurant in Clifton raised more than $27,000 for Tammy Hammonds, a server whose husband died recently. (More)

➤ The city of Dublin offers discounted Lyft rides through Jan. 3 to help residents get home safely after holiday parties. (Details)

➤ Miami (Ohio) will play Fresno State in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Tucson, Arizona. The RedHawks enter the game as underdogs. (More)

➤ FirstEnergy cautioned Ohioans about hazards when taking down Christmas lights, recommending they watch for overhead power lines and use a spotter when on the roof. (More)

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Which style of Christmas lights do you prefer?

1. White
   
2. Red and white
   
3. Multicolor
   
4. Any of the above
   
5. No preference
   
6. Other

Yesterday’s Results:

When do you prefer to attend a Christmas service?

1. Christmas Eve night: 19%
2. Don’t attend: 17%
3. Christmas Eve day: 16%
4. Midnight: 16%
5. Christmas Day: 16%
6. Other: 16%

Which Ohio-born president made Christmas a national holiday?

Show me the answer