A family tradition lived on Christmas Eve morning in South Philadelphia, despite temperatures in the single digits and wind chills below zero.
Termini Brothers, a family-owned bakery, welcomed customers at their 8th Street location at 6 Saturday morning. Dozens of people lined up for hours outside the store, bundled in layers and huddled around heaters.
Vincent Termini Sr., whose father opened the bakery in 1921, says he looks forward to seeing his faithful customers through the years.
“It’s so nice to see them because the families are getting bigger,” Termini told NBC10. “They bring their children and their grandchildren, and I like to see the families growing.”
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Among the people waiting outside for cannoli and other treats was a family who traveled from Baltimore, Maryland. Their great-grandmother grew up blocks away from Termini Brothers. They waited in line to make sure their 105-year-old matriarch had her favorite treats on Christmas.
“Gotta keep the tradition alive,” said Gregory. “Especially with the way the world is right now. A lot of traditions are going away and to continue it is just something extremely special to me and my family.”
Another family has been coming to the bakery for 30 years. Paul says he’s been bringing his kids to the bakery every year, a tradition passed down to him from his own father.
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“Teaching my kids the same thing my father taught me when I was growing up,” he said. “Every Christmas Eve it’s like ‘Dad, are we doing Terminis?’ Of course we are.”
Termini Brothers’ locations on 8th street, Packer Avenue and at Reading Terminal Market were also open on Christmas Eve for folks who just had to have one of their baked goods.
