Christmas Traditions

When I was little, my parents were dedicated to bringing us to visit family over the holidays.  Both of their parents and extended family lived about 2 hours away; which meant that my brother, sister and I never spent Christmas Eve or Christmas morning at our own house.  My senior year of high school, I told my parents that I wanted to be home Christmas morning and they finally agreed that we didn't have to travel and I was thrilled.

Being home on Christmas morning is so apple pie Americana.  It makes you feel like unabashedly bursting out into Jingle Bells and Joy to the World all at the same time.  It makes you feel like slamming some eggnog and telling stories of Christmas' yore.

But the absolute best thing about being home is that gradually the things that you do that morning become traditions.  At my Polish grandparent's house, we had a traditional Polish meal on Christmas Eve.  I appreciate (now) the effort that it took to prepare, but the meal sucked.  The best thing to eat was the fish sticks, which were only added when I was a teenager.  Lima beans, cabbage and fish balls are not my idea of sustenance.  But it was tradition, so we shut up and ate it.  Once we started celebrating Christmas at our house, we ended the traditional Polish meal and we now enjoy sitting down to a meal of Pf Chang's and my house.  Oh, how I love this.  It makes the holidays have so much meaning when people gather at your house to celebrate, it means that the memories will be made where you live and the tradition will continue.

Jim's Christmas Eve nap

I want my family's traditions to develop organically, but I'm not above crafting some too.  For example, Jim had the right idea.  Earlier he got out our "downstairs comforter" and curled up on the couch while Wubbles slept.  That's an awesome tradition.  A Christmas Eve nap.  I want Wubbles to nap for years and years to come!  Honestly though, I want him to grow up not knowing how to celebrate Christmas any other way than the way we do it.  I want him to say, "Mom, it's time for my Christmas Eve nap!"  Or, "Dad's taking his Christmas Eve nap again."  My hope is that he enjoys everything that Jim and I are going to try to make Christmas become: a time to celebrate our family and be generous with our love.

The tree is leaning a little bit more today.  Hopefully she doesn't give up before tomorrow.

Until tomorrow, goodbye.