'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the metroplex, North Texans like Olivia Galaviz are searching for the perfect tamales.

"I bought eight dozen, four pork and four chicken," said Galaviz. "That's what our parents did and our grandparents. It's a lot of work, so it's much more convenient to come buy them."

For many Latinos, it's a tradition that dates back centuries.

"When you make them, you have everybody — from the kids to the grandkids," said Lorenzo Castillo, who stopped by for a Christmas menudo.

While many families still make tamales at home, others turn to local favorites, like Tortillería y Tamalería Lopez. This Christmas Eve alone, the restaurant filled more than 2,500 orders, with staff working back-to-back to keep up with demand.

"This is our passion," said Luis Uribe, with Tortillería y Tamalería Lopez. "We like being able to do this."

Along with tamales, the business also sells masa for families to make their own and menudo. They've been serving the community for more than ten years.

"It brings us such a great satisfaction knowing that our tamales are very liked by people, and to be able to help them dedicate more time to their families during the holidays," said Uribe.

For Castillo and many Latinos, Christmas Eve, also known as Noche Buena, is bigger than Christmas Day.

"Friends, family, tamales, it's the holy grail of Christmas, the 24th," he said.

And whether you celebrate Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, don't forget the tamales, one of the best gifts to unwrap during the holiday season.

"I just want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," said Castillo.