Mom Has Family Sign Tablecloth Each Year to Create Special Holiday Keepsake. 25 Years Later, the Tradition Goes Viral (Exclusive)

A big family is keeping up a beautiful and unique tradition this holiday season.

Olivia Martinez, on TikTok @teenyolivemartini, has gone viral for sharing her family's tradition. Each year, they use the same holiday tablecloth, and have every guest at Christmas dinner sign it.

"Since 1997, every Christmas guest has signed this tablecloth. The day after Christmas, my mom stitches over their signature," the video reads, showing some of the sweet signatures and doodles that have accumulated over the years.

Martinez tells PEOPLE that what started as an idea from her mom growing up has become one of the family's most cherished moments of each holiday season.

"The tablecloth always comes out during Christmas, no matter where we celebrate," Martinez tells PEOPLE. "One year, we 'skipped Christmas' and went on a cruise. My mom brought the tablecloth and asked the waiter to set it on our table for dinner. The tablecloth has even traveled to France and Mexico!"

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Related: Great-Grandmother Hand-Knits Wedding Dress in Just 3 Weeks: 'It's Amazing What Two Needles Can Do'

The tradition began in 1997, the year Martinez's "super crafty" mom took up embroidery.

"She learned to cross stitch as a child with her mom and has always been crafty," Martinez shares.

It's become a centerpiece of their big family Christmas Eve gatherings.

"My mom has eight brothers and sisters, so our family gatherings are always really big. We always have family over for Christmas Eve for appetizers and drinks, and this is usually when everyone signs the tablecloth. We use a water-soluble marker that washes away after we stitch over everyone's names," she explains of the process.

What started as a project for just her mom evolved into a family craft.

"When my siblings and I were little, my mom stitched everyone's signatures. Once my sister and I got old enough, we liked to help. We all started stitching our own names when we were about 11 or 12," Martinez recalls.

"I don't really remember ever being taught — my mom would just give me a needle and thread and let me work on it. She never made me feel like I would 'mess up.' It's endearing to see some of the messier names from younger kids anyway."

She adds, "Even my dad participates. We usually make him stitch over his signature because he always draws a really intricate picture."

After their Christmas Eve gathering comes to an end, the family kicks off Christmas with some time spent embroidering the names.

"We usually start after Christmas Eve dinner and finish by the 26th or 27th, depending on the size of our dinner. Sometimes, when we had a big group over, my mom, sister and I would all sit on the couch and have the tablecloth on our lap like a blanket while we stitched and watched Christmas movies," Martinez shares.

Martinez was inspired to share the tradition after seeing other TikTokers posting about family traditions. She knew some people would appreciate it but never expected it to go viral. To date, the video has more than 1.5 million views.

"I love watching videos of other family traditions and feel inspired to share our family's tradition with them. I hadn't really seen anyone posting about doing something similar," she shares.

"My mom has been the most excited about the video blowing up. I posted the video around 10 p.m., and I didn't even know that it had gotten a lot of views until she woke me up the next morning to tell me," Martinez says.

"The first day it was up, she texted me hourly while I was at work to update me on the metric milestones. She has read and responded to almost every comment and is so happy that her tablecloth inspires others."

Martinez is excited to see her family tradition being celebrated as they prepare to add another year's worth of memories to the tablecloth. "It's super special to see the signatures of loved ones preserved, especially if they are no longer with us."

Read the original article on People