Santa Claus” is the symbol for Christmas here in the United States, where junior Jessica Maddux lives, but where she spends Christmas with her family, “Father Christmas” is what she has come to know.

For the past six years, Jessica has been going to Coventry, England for Christmas to visit her mom’s side of the family. But this year, things will be different. Due to her great-grandmother’s death, Jessica will be spending her Christmas in Mo.

Though Jessica is not able to spend Christmas with her grandmother, she will get to spend it with her mother, Sharon, for the time in six years. While they both enjoy going to England, Sharon’s work obligations have prevented her from going to her homeland during the past holiday seasons.

England has become like another home to the Madduxes. In a way they wish they could both go together, but they are glad to finally get to spend quality time together as mother and daughter.

“I am just glad she’s staying home,” Sharon said. “I never really got into the Christmas mood before. I usually don’t even put up a Christmas tree and everything, but this year I will since she’s home.”

Now that she’s finally staying home, Jessica and her mother will get to enjoy activities they haven’t been able to enjoy in quite a long time. Together, they will go Christmas shopping. Together, they will go see Christmas lights. Together, they will spend time with Jessica’s grandparents. They will also get to spend New Year’s together, which is something else the British vacation took away from them. And not only will Jessica have time to spend time with her mother, but she’ll get to see her friends, too.

“Since she is not going to England, she will be home on my birthday,” Jessica’s best friend, junior Ali Vernier, said, “so I might actually get to see her.”

Though Jessica will miss England, she plans to make this Christmas just as memorable as her previous ones. In the past, some of her family members have come to the United States for the summer, and Jessica hopes they will do the same this year so that they can keep in touch.

Although Jessica is getting to spend more time with her mom, she still misses spending time with her other relatives. Jessica will especially miss her cousin, Emily, who she spends a lot of the time with when in England. Jessica usually goes shopping and sees movies with Emily and her cousin’s friends. Jessica says she and her cousin are like sisters.

“My family will go on a Web cam and talk to each other to keep in touch,” Jessica said. “It will be hard not seeing them because I’m so used to seeing them. It has become a tradition and [not going to England] is a break from the normal.”