When I look back at my life, and specifically my childhood, I don’t remember the different gifts I received over the year (I remember some, but definitely not all). But I do remember the family traditions surrounding Christmas.
We always had a family party on Christmas Eve, where we ate food and gave gifts–it’s a tradition we still do. I always loved driving home from that party and seeing all the Christmas lights on the houses and prayed that I could fall asleep quickly to make Christmas morning come quicker.
When Santa came to our house, he always left rolled-up notes on the tree. Some presents from him were around the tree, but when we’d unwrapped everything else on Christmas morning, my siblings and I had two notes each that led us on a hunt for a present hidden somewhere in the house or outside. One time we had to drive to my grandma’s house because Santa had hidden some sleds in her garage.
This is a tradition that started with my grandparents (with my mom) and has been carried on with my kids too. So it’s lasted three generations so far.
What are some of your holiday traditions? I celebrate Christmas, but I’d love to hear about your traditions from any holiday!