Each year the holidays come and go, along with the task of bringing out the good china for a night of festive dining followed by putting the china away as soon as it's washed.

And there it sits, waiting for the next holiday season.

But these days, the nice china you inherited from your grandmother or received as a wedding gift can be used all year round.

For example, newlyweds Becca and Matt Hamby use their china each month on the anniversary of their wedding.

"Before we got married we were trying to decide if we wanted formal china and one of our friends, who's been married a little bit longer than us, explained that they had a little tradition that they would eat off their china on their anniversary each month," said Becca Hamby, who was married June 16, 2007. "We decided that would be a good idea and give us a reason to use our china more often, so we try to do that and of course we miss some months but it doesn't matter if it's pizza or if it's something fancy - we use our china on the 16th of every month."

That's a trend echoed by Mary Beth Begley, owner of The Crystal Plate on Bradford Street in Gainesville. She said couples are starting to use their china all year long.

"A lot of people are getting grandmother's china, so they are getting a more practical pottery or a china that is definitely dishwasher-, microwave-, oven-, freezer-safe and using that," said Begley, who uses her Juliska Berry and Thread china all year long. "But if it's a pattern that just has some red in it you can keep it out until Valentine's Day and use it with a white (tablecloth) and have red and white ... Then you could throw in a blue and use it for July the 4th."

Begley's Juliska china is neutral, so she said she swaps out the chargers for different colors throughout the year.

Hamby registered for the Lenox Opal Innocence china for her nuptials because of its versatility.

"I wanted something that was timeless that I could mix and match with anything. And the Opal Innocence has a pewter edge on it that looks real nice, and it's just white so it matches most anything," she said. "Opal Innocence is very common; so many girls have this china pattern. The girl who told me about the (anniversary) tradition picked the same pattern as me and we didn't know that until after I had gotten it."

This past Thanksgiving was the first time the couple used their china for more than just the two of them.

"I bought a casual china as well - I bought a casual and a formal - my casual is Mikasa Cheers ... so I used that for Thanksgiving."

Hamby stores her Mikasa everyday china in her kitchen cabinets, but her Lenox china is housed in her mother's china cabinet. But if you don't have the china cabinet, Begley said there are other ways to safely store your china.

"I guess probably I would go to somewhere like The Container Store ... I would get those padded carry-on containers," Begley said. "It's got the little handle at the top, it's round and they make them for the specific sizes - the dinner size, the salad size. I think they make one with dividers that they make for cups and saucers; that and Bed Bath & Beyond has them.

Her husband, Jim Begley, added that china with a metallic edge, or a monogram, needs special care, too.

Although, Mary Beth added, simple bubble wrap can work just as well in a pinch.

"I would cut it to my plate size or a square and put it in between each plate," she said.