Lines form outside Termini Bros Bakery in Philadelphia for Christmas Eve tradition

Most people were walking out with boxes and boxes of cannolis, because what is Christmas Eve without Termini Bros?

Bryanna Gallagher Image
Sunday, December 24, 2023
Lines form outside Termini Bros Bakery in Philadelphia for Christmas Eve tradition
Lines form outside Termini Bros Bakery in Philadelphia for Christmas Eve tradition

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Standing in line at Termini Bros Bakery on Christmas Eve is an over 100-year-old tradition in Philadelphia.

People will travel to great lengths for the holidays, which almost always includes making a stop at the iconic shop.

"It's not Christmas without it, it's tradition. Rain, snow, sleet, ice, all to get cannolis. Every year for 33 years. This is my 33rd year," said Suzanne Sauder, who traveled from Huntingdon Valley.

Year after year, traditions are a big staple for many people.

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Termini Bros are a big part of that. Every year, a line starts to form in the middle of the night.

And the same goes for this year.

"Every year, we usually get done here around midnight," said Joe Achuff from Northeast Philadelphia.

Luckily, this year temperatures were mild, so it made waiting in line a little more bearable.

"We got here at 3 a.m. this morning as I have for the past 30 years," said Joe Giralo.

Customers say it's always the same group waiting in that line. While they wait for their cannolis, they catch up on what's happened with one another over the last year.

"This is a tradition. I was here many years ago, my father brought me here for four generations," said Tom Baglivo, who was in line with his daughter and grandson.

There is one thing that's on most people's lists.

"Cannolis. Many, many cannolis," said Achuff.

Most people were walking out with boxes and boxes of cannolis, because what is Christmas Eve without Termini Bros?

The bakery starts looking ahead to Christmas Eve months in advance, but all the work behind the scenes leading up to the holiday started 10 days ago.

We may not know the exact number of cannolis they'll be selling on Sunday, but the shop estimates thousands.