A/N
A holiday special! I only really celebrate Christmas, but I wanted to include Hanukkah so sorry if I butchered traditions. I tried to do some research.

"Hello, Pidge, Hunk, Lance."

"Allura! Hey," Lance stumbles over.

"What are you doing?" Allura raises her eyebrow.

"Errm... Earth stuff," Lance eloquently explains.

Allura just gives him a look.

"We are decorating for the holidays," Pidge jumps in, tying a rope to a pillar, covered in paper white shapes.

Allura raises her eyebrow at Pidge as Hunk lowers them to the ground, "Holidays?"

"Yeah!" Hunk smiles, "On Earth, people stop working for a certain period of time and celebrate for lots of reasons and in lots of ways. This holiday is Christmas. It's a religious celebration that is celebrated by lots of people, even if they're not religious. It's full of family, fun, food, presents, carols, food, games, good will, food-"

"I think she gets the idea, Hunk," Lance laughs, wrapping an arm around him.

"What is this 'religion'?" Allura asks, crossing her arms.

"Technically, if someone follows a religion, they believe in life after death," Pidge explains, "But there are many religions with sub-religions known as denominations. For example, Christians believe that a man called Jesus died so that when we all die we can go to Heaven, which is supposedly paradise. It contains many denominations, since it is practiced in many ways."

"Interesting. We have something similar, only it's a large Beekledon that devours our souls for eternity."

"I don't think-"

Lance covers Pidge's mouth, "We found out that it's about Christmas time back on Earth, so we decided to make some simple decorations, like paper snowflakes," Lance gestures to the decorations hanging from the top of the archway.

"Snowflakes?"

Lance wraps an arm around her and pulls her away, "I will tutor you in Earth holidays and holiday customs."

———

"What is this?" Shiro sighs, rubbing the top of his nose with his finger and thumb, grabbing Keith's hand when he goes to poke a mock-candle's flame.

"We're decorating for Christ-mas!" Allura exclaims, excited from her spot in the middle of the paper decoration mountain.

"It's Christmas!" Pidge says from their spot squished underneath the pile, face against the floor.

"Wasn't he called Jesus Christ?"

"We didn't name the holiday!"

"This! Is a fire hazard!" Shiro steps in, watching Keith admire the large pile of snowflakes.

Hunk pokes his head out of the pile and takes a deep breath, "We've lost Lance! My best buddy!" Hunk spots Keith and Shiro through his mourning tears, brightening up immediately, "Hey guys! Allura went a little overboard-"

"You said the more the merrier! That's supposed to be better!"

"We were hoping for variety and the saying is to do with people!" Pidge retorts.

"But we'll handle it!" Hunk assures.

"You're celebrating Christmas?" Shiro asks.

"Yeah! Pidge's laptop has been keeping track of the date. It's just turned December!"

"Oh..." Shiro smiles sadly.

"Shiro?" Keith asks, tugging at Shiro's jacket, making him look down at the nervous kid, "What's wrong?"

Shiro sighs, "It's December. I've missed another Hanukkah."

Keith tilts his head, "Hanukkah?"

"Remember when we told you about holidays and religion?" Shiro asks and Keith nods, "It's a Jewish holiday. We light a candle every day for eight days and sing songs, play games of dreidel, eat lots of oil-based foods and dairy foods, but, most importantly, we celebrated together."

Keith plays with the bottom of Shiro's jacket, looking away, "Can... can we celebrate... together?"

Shiro places a hand on Keith's head, "Of course. We will have to do things a little different, since we're not on Earth and making a late start, but I'd love to celebrate with you, Yurak."

Keith looks up, beaming at Shiro, who gives him a smile.

"You're Jewish, Shiro?" Pidge asks, having forced their head to rest on their folded arms, "We will make all the preparations! Let us know what you want to do and we will do it!"

"First," Shiro raises his finger, "Put the fire out and do something with these decorations."

"Fire?" Pidge, Hunk, Allura and a muffled screech repeat.

"Come on, Keith. Let's go raid the fridge."

Keith waves goodbye.

———

"Why does the common room smell of smoke?" Coran folds his arms, walking into the kitchen, "And why is Number 3 coughing up paper?"

"I'm fine," Lance manages, pulling a piece of paper out of his mouth, Hunk rubbing his back.

"Holidays are so much fun!" Allura claps her hands.

"Why would hunting a Tryflklon be fun? It's a bloodbath!"

"Earth holidays are very different," Pidge explains, before turning from their laptop to Lance, "Swallowing paper doesn't seem to cause any health problems."

Lance gives him a thumbs up.

"Let me tell you about Christ-mas and Hanukkah!" Allura grabs Coran's arm and drags him down the hallway.

"It's CHRISTMAS!"

———

"And see, it spins. Like... so!" Shiro smiles as Keith laughs, eyes lighting up.

"That one says... Shin?"

"It means put in-" Shiro begins.

"So I add one to the centre!" Keith grins.

"And mine says Hey so...."

"You get half!"

"But there's an odd number, so what do I do?"

"Take half and round up!" Keith cheers, before spinning, "Nun! So I do nothing."

"And I got Shin," Shiro adds one.

"Gimel!" Keith laughs, "I get everything in the pot."

"That's great," Shiro laughs, rubbing the top of his head, remembering how his own dad used to do this.

The game continues for a long time and they play again with their teammates. It's fun and the team has never laughed so hard.

———

"It may not be a Christmas tree, but it's close enough," Lance admires their work.

A large purple maple tree thing from a nearby planet is settled in the entranceway, scrapping the ceiling. No one knows how Coran and Allura got it in, but they are all too terrified to ask. Keith climbed the tree to decorate, the Paladins used their jetpacks and Coran and Allura used ropes that the Paladins tied to the branches. The star at the top, stuck on a stick, is blinding.

"I used to celebrate Christmas with my... friend," Shiro says, "but this is even better than I remember."

———

Christmas Eve ends with a movie marathon and a cuddle pile, even if Shiro gets up a few hours before everyone else to put the final pieces together for Christmas Day. Everyone has a stocking on the couch in the common room by the time they all wake up and it's time for the presents to be opened. Ugly Christmas jumpers are worn and chocolate is eaten. The Christmas dinner that is a few hours after lunch normally is is more of a buffet and leftovers are stored.

The day is good, not because of the decorations or gifts or food, but because it's one of the only days they all get to spend together, as a family.

They all cherish the memories, each one carrying a few photos of the day.

It's one of the first things Keith asks for when he's himself again.