Christmas is fast approaching and if there’s one person in the Celtic FC Women’s side who is potentially more excited for the big day than any other, it could be Taylor Otto.

The American defender joined the ranks of the Celtic side this summer, having impressed during a college career and then moving to professional side Racing Louisville in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Having won three caps for her national side’s Under-23 team, Otto arrived at Celtic Park hoping to strengthen the backline of Fran Alonso’s side that won a League Cup and Scottish Cup double last season.

The 25-year-old has had a strong start to the season, proving an important figure at both ends of the park as she scored in her third match in a Hoops shirt in a 4-0 win over Spartans, as well as helping keep the clean sheets at the back.

With no games over the Christmas period, Otto will get the chance to head back home to spend the holidays with her family and share her experiences of her time so far in Glasgow.

But before jetting back to the United States, Otto sat down with the Celtic View for a special Q&A to talk all about her start to life at Celtic and the festive holiday.

WHAT DOES CHRISTMAS MEAN TO YOU?
I think of Santa Claus and all of that kind of stuff. But when I get older I start to think about my family and getting that time off to be together at the same time, enjoy eating and just hanging out. We have Thanksgiving back home but Christmas just seems bigger to me. Of course, Thanksgiving is important to me and it’s great to be with the family with a big huge meal, the food is amazing! But there’s something about Christmas and the feel of it that’s so homey to me and it’s more important and I enjoy it more.

WHAT DOES A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS LOOK LIKE TO YOU?
Leading up to the big day you have the 25 days of Christmas where we celebrate something. So during that time we always watch movies and have advent calendars as a family. We have our big dinner on Christmas Eve and then we open one present each on that night which my Mum usually gets us, which is just something smaller. In the past, she would usually get my brother and me a movie or something like a game, so it’s always presents we can do together on that night. Then we do our secret Santa, which is always fun to see what everyone gets each other. I’m not sure if this is just something my family does or if it’s an American thing. On the morning of Christmas Day, we all sit and have breakfast and then we open our presents and watch the New York parade.

WHO DO YOU SHARE CHRISTMAS WITH?
My grandmother moved to North Carolina five years ago, so recently we have been having Christmas Eve at her house with my brother and his wife, and then my Mum and Dad. Then on Christmas morning everyone comes to our house and we open gifts and eat. Then my brother and his wife go to her family and it’s just me, my Mum and my Dad.

WHAT IS YOUR TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS DINNER?
We don’t usually have a Christmas Day dinner as such. We do more of a breakfast or brunch and then the night before is when we have our bigger meal. It’s very similar to Thanksgiving we have green beans, cabbage, stuffing, and some type of turkey or ham, but on Thanksgiving, we cook a whole turkey, and for Christmas, we cook a smaller one. We have crackers and cheese, and then my mum even makes this amazing veggie pizza, but that’s probably just us.

Celtic View exclusive: Taylor Otto on the most wonderful time of the year