The Rivera and Rumer-Rivera Family Edgardo; Don; and DJ, 12

Dr. Edgardo Rivera recently moved from Houston, Texas, to Scottsdale this January and is the Medical Director of Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. Along with his long-term partner, Don Rumer-Rivera, and their adopted son, DJ, the family celebrates the joyful holiday season together with a mix of Latin American culture and American traditions.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

My favorite part of the holidays is celebrating Christmas Eve with friends and family until early in the morning the next day. Because we are a multicultural family and diverse in many ways, we listen to traditional Spanish and Puerto Rican Christmas music as well as traditional American Christmas music. We celebrate by dancing, eating traditional Puerto Rican food and singing around the Christmas tree. When I was a kid, we would always go to midnight mass.

What is your favorite holiday memory?

There are so many but usually the happiness and the joy of being with family and friends that you have not seen in a long time.

What is your favorite holiday decoration?

I would say the tree and the nativity. Every Latin American home always has a nativity, usually outside in the yard and definitely under the tree. On Dec. 25, we place baby Jesus on his crib as a symbol that Jesus Christ was born.

What are you most looking forward to this holiday season?

I'm looking forward to celebrating the holiday with new friends and with my family (which has now been legally completed with the adoption of our son).

How does having a child make the holidays more fun?

A child makes the holidays better by bringing innocence and joy into this season.

What is the best present you were ever given?

I can't remember a bad present!

Favorite holiday food?

Pernil and arroz con gandules followed by tembleque or arroz con dulce.

Favorite holiday movie?

'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.'

New Year's resolution?

Exercise more while at the same time trying all of the non-chain restaurants in the Greater Phoenix metro area by the end of 2012.