Traditions

Special memories, but such pressure to keep traditions alive! Traditions are a set of customs or practices, often passed down from one generation to the next. I love them! But often find myself stressed to keep up with them all. Do we have too many?

My 18 and 21 year old encourage them to keep going, "Mom! We can't not do ___, we've always done it that way!"

I find it more and more apparent that our family continues many traditions around Christmas time.

Here are some:

Christmas Eve Dinner = Waffles & Chicken Gravy: This started with my Father's Mother Mary Emma McCurdy (my parents divorced a long time ago, but Mom continued this). Most people do not like it (including the kids that insist we still make it) - but they eat one waffle with Chicken Gravy before loading up on the syrup covered ones. It has come to pass that I host this meal, eating in shifts with 8 adults; 4 young adults; 4 little ones.

After dinner, we gather in the living room.............. SURPRISE....................

Christmas Pajamas: Another Grandmother, DeeDee, began making us Christmas Pajamas when I was a little one. Often elastic that was too tight on the wrists, short or long pants, lace all around the neck, but homemade treasures stitched with love. My mom, Sandy, continued for many years, and has risen to the pillar from the teens now that she's moved onto Old Navy, Gap, Victoria Secret purchased jammies. These are all wrapped and given to the kids (until you have kids of your own, then you benefit watching your children on the receiving end, which I note is just as pleasurable!). All pose for the Christmas Pajama Picture!

Luke 2 and The Night Before Christmas: These are both read by the teen volunteers for that year, while we all listen gathered in a circle, and try to pump in the caffeine to get us through the wee-hour work.

Reindeer's Carrots: The Reindeer need to eat - so we always leave some carrots out, and they always seem to leave a big mess of chewed up carrot remmanents.

Mailed Packages: The packages we receive from family/friends in the mail, the boxes get opened and placed under the tree before bedtime on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Tree Decorations: Up until Christmas Eve, our tree is adorned with White Lights and Crismons , which are pearl and gold beaded ornaments symbolic of Christ. DeeDee also began making these, and I've continued stocking the family, and gifting them. Christmas Eve night Santa Claus comes and as well as leaving presents, filling stockings, and eating cookies/milk, decorates our tree with our boxes of homemade and special ornaments with colored lights and icicles.

Baby Jesus: We have two nativity scenes, and Santa Claus places Baby Jesus in the manger. I love that this is often the first thing checked in the morning.

Gift Exchange: Michael (my husband) and I exchange an ornament with each other. That is our only gifts that we exchange with each other. We do $help$ the children though, so we can sneak some things in there :)

Christmas Morning: No one is allowed to go downstairs until Mom & Dad turn on the lights. Sounds of "ooooh I think someone was here" come from downstairs as the lights get turned on, and the camera gets ready. The children sit at the top stair waiting for "ok". We get the annual first look picture of the girls coming downstairs in their pj's.

(Last year we had a great memory, although we got a lot of strange faces, we visited DeeDee at the Nursing Home she was staying - see picture - all in our pajamas still on Christmas Morning. She has Alzheimers, but although I'm sure she doesn't remember it now - she loved the whole family being there. My little one's head is missing - but she was all there :)

Presents: Santa Claus gifts are either left unwrapped, or wrapped in Comics. We unwrap presents first, taking turns from youngest to oldest - then the stockings.

(I have to mention my grandmother, DeeDee, again, she made over 800 stockings as gifts for anyone who got married or had a baby. They are SO special! She knitted the year she made it on the stocking - so mine is quite aged compared to the rest of the family :)

Mamaw and Papaw's House: After all gifts are done, we make our way to my Mom & Dad's house about 15 minutes away to share the morning (don't tell - we all just hop in the van in our pajamas & slippers). We share homemade Cinnamon Rolls & Breakfast Casserole their and exchange our gifts. Then back home to play and get ready for the day. We head back over to Mamaw & Papaws house for Christmas Dinner in the afternoon. We try to play games in the evening - Catch Phrase, Scene It, etc.

I love the Traditions too. I don't want to be "unflexible", but its hard when "its always been this way". Sometimes as families change (births, marriages, moves), practices have to change as well. That isn't easy.