Christmas Eve Traditions

Christmas in My Neck of the Woods

Christmas has always been a special time in our family or should I say our neck of the woods. I have always felt the anticipation grow from the time Thanksgiving is over. It seems to be just one whole wonderful month.

Back to when I was a child. This is when the Christmas stories started being told of Christmas's past. And we read the Night Before Christmas and in the following weeks got to make all kinds of paper or plastic home made ornaments and decorations. I still have some of them and when we get those out boy do the memories come flowingback.

Isn't it odd how a little pine cone with glitter all over it or one that was painted, or a cut out Christmas card with your childhood picture in it, can bring back such warm feelings and happiness from your childhood? I also have many that I made with our children that have the same effect on me.

Then came the first of December and we all got to help that week in the evenings with the Christmas cards. And I still carry on that tradition in the first week of Dec., but sometimes am later now, that life seems to be so full.

We took turns picking out which card to send to who. And we took turns stamping them and signing our names inside. That was always a nice family time.

Now it was time to start the baking and making up of decorated boxes for our neighbors and friends. Mom was raising us alone and we did what we could. She taught us the JOY OF GIVING and it is something that has stayed with me through my whole life. I would rather give then receive. I have passed this onto my children aswell. And it makes me proud of them when they do and give of their time and selves to others.

We were always taught the real meaning of Christmas and that it was much more important than our giving and receiving gifts.

I really don't know how Mom did it all by herself in those days.

As it gets closer to Christmas we set down and make a list of what we are going to buy or make the people that will be at the Christmas Eve at our Grandma's.

Back then making and receiving homemade gift were much more appreciated and exciting then now. I remember putting every effort and care that I had into anything I made. I still like to sew and make some of the grandkids gifts.

We also at this time would set down and write Santa Claus and hoped he reached it at the North Pole before Christmas. And I still do this with the grand kids and my girls. They get so excited.

On the night of the fifth of December, we used to hang our real stockings that we wore. Of course the biggest ones that we could find and we wore knee socks back then. We did the old country custom that all our ancestors did. You would hang your stocking the night before the sixth of Dec. and if you got coal and rotten eggs, you better do some kind of change around of how you were acting. And be good till Christmas or you would not get anything from Santa for Christmas. Well, of course we never got coal or rotten eggs. But it was a day we looked forward too and always had nuts, a tangerine, candy and a couple small toys. We must have talked about it in school, but never got made fun of.

When I tried to carry on the tradition with our children and Jay started school, he got called a liar and told you could not to that, that it was cheating. All sorts of stuff, and so we had to stop that while he was young enough where he would forget about it.

Ok, now we are ready for our big shopping trips to the big city 8 miles away, which was not really a big city, but back then it was. It is where I live today in South Haven. We would go to Ben Franklin's and Murphy's Dime store. I can still picture those stores... What did they do with the good ole stores?

Then it was home to have hot chocolate and sandwiches while we got to wrap our gifts. Many times we fell to sleep before we were done, but got to finish the next day.

Those were the days of wonder and Awe!

Back then I can't remember getting a gift I already had. Today, you have to wonder if the child already has something like your gift or the same thing. Oh, Well, life goes on and changes come and go.

Somewhere in this last week we go caroling with the local Girl Scout troops or the church. That is always so much fun to go to the homes. Our town was a country town, so you had to pile into cars or trucks and I mean pile, as there were no seat belts. And we did not go to too many places and they were far apart, but it was a memory and a great time and then had hot chocolate and cookies afterwards somewhere.

Then the big night has arrived.

We all go to Grandmas for the big Christmas Eve Fish Dinner.

My family were Catholic and I don't know if that is why we had fish or because they did in the old country... Everything they talked about was always from the old country. So, that is what I grew up thinking the tradition came from.

Later on in years when the family started growing, Grandma or Mom would cook a roast for those that did not like fish. Thank goodness.

There would be mashed potatoes and gravy, veggies , salad, cranberry sauce, homemade, pickles and applesauce, and rolls ...

For dessert , there was always popcorn balls, frosted cut out sugar cookies, and pie. But we had dessert after the gift opening.

When the clean up was happening , Grandpa would go outside like he was going to the Out house, because that what my grandparents had at that time and he would come running in all covered in snow and say , "I heard the sleigh bells. You better allget up stairs."

We would all run up there and then we would hear the jingle bells and Santa, (actually him, but we did not know at that time), Saying, "HO HO HO, Merry Christmas, and how are all the children?"

Grandma and Grandpa had old registers in their floors but the moms with us would cover them with a rug so we could not see. When he was done placing a gift unwrapped of course under the tree, he would stomp towards the door and we would all giggle knowing we got to go back down in seconds and we would line up, and he would say ," Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas", and be gone. Of course we would look for the sleigh marks outside before we went home and if it had not snowed we could see some.

We did not know really what they would look like, but Grandpa always took it one step further and made marks for us. We learned that when we got older.

So, we all came down stairs to find what we really wanted setting under the tree. After a little while we would all set down and Grandma would start passing out gifts from everyone to everyone, and one at a time.

It was a long fun evening you did not want to end.

Then came dessert time and home to bed time.

Now a days, we do the same thing for dinner and with the little ones. The only difference is , that we have each person pass out their gifts . The small ones are so proud of the Dollar store items they picked out and paid for and wrapped all by them selves. It is so exciting to watch their little faces.

I am the Grandma and Ron is the Grandpa now.

Times do really change. But a lot of traditions stay the same.

I am going to start a very new tradition this year for the little ones to remember. When we are all done opening gifts they will get to take an ornament off the tree that has their name on it. I bought these huge diamond looking round ball ornaments at the end of the year last year. I have bought a small ornament in it for them to take home with our names signed on it and the date of 2006 and will put a couple other things in them. They will have to bring the ball back by New Years so I can pack them away for next year, as to do the same thing again. I tried this with the twins when they were little, but one year they lost the ball and then ask every year if I remembered when I used to do that. They will be 10 soon. So, I am going to try it again for all 9 grand kids.

So, I hope you enjoyed our Christmas from our neck of the woods.

I want to wish you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

LET TRADITIONS LIVE ON AND MAKE NEW ONES!!!!