Looking back, Christmas Eve has always been the best part of Christmas. There are so many family traditions woven into the fabric of the day. In the past it was shopping day number one for The Kid. He would rise early that morning, sneak out the door for breakfast and then hit the mall. All, and I mean ALL of his shopping was done on Christmas Eve morning. It used to drive me crazy, until one day it dawned on me that this is part of what makes Christmas, Christmas for him.
For me, Christmas Eve day was spent in the kitchen baking pies and whipping up salads, anything that could be prepared in advance so I too could relax and enjoy Christmas morning. The boys were always beyond excited. Bouncing from room to room, yelling at the top of their lungs....please tell me why it is that I miss that? A light dinner was followed by a traditional Christmas Eve church service. Silent Night in a candle lit sanctuary never fails to bring tears to my eyes.
When I was a child we would return home after church and I would wait, patiently (yeah, right) for my grandparents to arrive and the first round of gift giving to begin. Refreshments and tasty treats adorned a brightly decorated table and helped pass the time until the festivities (present opening) would commence. This tradition evolved somewhat with my own family as we were usually far from loved ones. In addition to snack time, a viewing of A Christmas Story, or Christmas Vacation (when the boys got a little older) was on the agenda. To this day I usually watch Christmas Vacation on Christmas Eve, nothing like a little Clark Griswold to get one in the spirit.
The moral to this story is: Enjoy your Christmas Eve; embrace your traditions; love one another; and laugh like crazy when cousin Eddie shows up in his RV.
Merry Christmas Eve everyone.
3 comments:
I love your blog - and you. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Like Cousin Eddie would say "Shi**ers full!
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