The 2026 Real Christmas Essay Contest is adding categories and prizes, and entries are due Nov. 20. Organizers said the earlier deadline will apply to essays submitted through four area public libraries or by mail.
The contest is divided into four grade groups: kindergarten through second grade, grades 3-5, grades 6-8 and grades 9-12. The youngest group is a family project, with the winning family receiving a gift basket at the Real Christmas community event in Waterloo.
The three older grade groups will each award prizes of $50, $25 and $15. Court 806 of the Catholic Daughters of America is sponsoring those prizes. Every contestant will also receive a certificate for a slice of pizza sponsored by Ciccino's in Waterloo, according to the contest announcement.
Students and families can place their essays in prepared red boxes at the public libraries in Geneva, Ovid, Seneca Falls and Waterloo. Organizers also said entries may be mailed, though the announcement did not include a mailing address.
Winning essays will be displayed and prizes awarded at the Real Christmas community event from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Waterloo Community Center. That event is separate from the Nov. 20 entry deadline.
The announcement did not specify essay prompts, word limits or how entries will be judged. Families seeking those details or a mailing address can contact Becky Pezzulo at Waterloo Methodist Church at 315-539-9665 or wumc13165@gmail.com.
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