Christmas Eve Tradition
Posted at 7:42 am on December 24, 2009 by Heather
December in my home growing up was always incredibly fun, but also incredibly busy. The constant flurry of activity really cranked up on my sister’s birthday, the 16th, plus there was Hannukah, then our school Christmas Pageant (which was actually a huge production in a cathedral), my parent’s wedding anniversary, followed at last by Christmas eve and Christmas day. The festivities continued right through January 7th and 8th with my other sister and my back to back birthdays. To add to all of that my father was a pastor so while my mom made the holiday happen at home my dad was making the holiday happen for the church.
Christmas Eve brought our church service followed by the Christmas Eve open house for the whole congregation in our 3.5 Bedroom apartment. Cookies, music, tree, dancing, laughing, loud. It was lovely and full. It was also overwhelming. Once my friends left the party I would often take my cookies back to my room and close the door for some quiet.
Christmas morning would mean presents and yummy brunch food. It would be just our family, but we’d blast through the gifts and more often then not get ready to jump in the car to head off to visit relatives that same day or the next.
But there were moments of stillness for me on Christmas Eve…in the quiet candle light of the service at church listening to Silent Night. And then my favorite part of Christmas-after our open house when our apartment emptied out we’d be left alone, the five of us in our living room, sitting under our tree. No one waiting in a line to talk to my dad. No grown ups laughing it up with my mom. No adults cooing over us. My mom would serve us a little bit of Creme de Menthe on ice and we’d sip it by the light of the tree while listening to quiet music be together.There under the tree three packages wrapped and waiting. Every Christmas Eve we would get to open a gift from my father. A present to open before Christmas morning—when you’re 5 years old it doesn’t get much better then that. We knew what the gifts were–we were still excited. We’d open our matching pajamas with a new stuffed animal for each of us. Hugs followed with photos. We’d don our new pajamas and cuddle our stuffed animal friends. Shortly after that the drowsiness would set in (hmm, creme de menthe?) and we’d go off to bed with sugar plum fairies dancing in our heads.
What a great picture!! I assume you are the baby here. I feel like I am looking at little Ivy!
Thanks for sharing such sweet holiday memories, Heather. I know your girls will have similar stories to tell someday, of the amazing traditions their mama created for them. Love you!
Yup I’m the baby. I hope the girls will have memories of holidays as special as mine. My mama was a superstar at that stuff. Love you too F!
I cannot believe how close your family of origin and your family now has their bdays! It’s amazing! Plus your parent’s wedding anniversary.
My favorite part of your post was the drowiness after the creme de menthe-great idea and unfortunately too frowned upon now to steal! Darn modern parenting and research!