Traditions.

It’s no secret. I love traditions. I love how the things we do today (Christmas Eve) and Christmas Day I have been doing (most) years since I was born. I one day hope to pass these traditions on to my future children. Here are a list of some of our family traditions:

- We all go to church as a family on Christmas Eve—to the 5 o’clock children’s mass. It’s a beautiful service. Mom and I sing and help in the Children’s Choir. There is also a live nativity during the homily. It really does a great job of reminding us the true reason of the season.

- A few weeks (sometimes days) before Christmas Mom (and usually my sister) and I bake and decorate a bunch of Christmas cookies. We give them out as gifts, eat a bunch and keep some to serve on Christmas Eve and Day. Its such a delicious tradition :)

-Our tree is decorated with the ornaments that my Mom has given us each year. Each year she would give my brother, sister and I all matching ornaments (or sometimes different ones). She put the year on the back of them and then when we get married or move out to our own place we each have a set of ornaments to start off our new tree. It’s so fun to look back each year as we decorate the tree and remember what was going on in our lives when we got the particular ornament.

-Christmas Day we are not allowed to open ANY gifts or even our stockings until my Mom (and used to be my Dad) were up, out of bed and watching. That was always the trick when we were younger. Usually my brother would wake up first then he’d come wake me up. Then we would both bombard my parents’ room and beg them to get up. Mind you, this was all before the sun even came up!

-Christmas dinner is always Prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. Other holiday’s the menus may vary but not Christmas Day. I hate prime rib, actually. But, its always what we have and believe me, I always survive ;)

- After the aforementioned Christmas Eve Mass we always toodle around town and look at the beautiful Christmas lights. It’s one of my most favorite things to do this time of year. We have our typical spots: Bishops Cove, Mullen Hill…etc. It is such a fun thing to do and we’ve been doing it since…well, since I can remember!

I am so grateful to my parents for making these traditions “ours.” I can’t wait to do these fun traditions, and probably create more, with my future family. Traditions really bring a family closer together and it is so fun to spend genuine family time during this time of the year and always! Yet, we must always remember the true meaning of the season. The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!

I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas Eve! Enjoy all of your traditions with your family!