What Are Your Christmas Traditions?

Everyone seems to be gearing up for the Christmas Season. Decorating, shopping and planning the dreaded logistics of fitting in several family gatherings. The hustle and bustle sometimes brings us down in the midst of what should be a joyous occasion.

This time of year always makes me sentimental and nostalgic. I think of traditions that have been carried on through generations and the one’s that we’ve adopted since.There are so many.

I know a lot of people give Christmas pajamas as gifts. When I was a child, they were the one present we were allowed to open Christmas Eve. My parents always attended late Christmas Eve services and my sister and I liked to stay up until they returned. It always seemed to snow and I can remember my dad coming in, his dark hair glistening with magical snowflakes. He was always so jubilant with Christmas spirit and love of the season. My mum made us hot chocolate and she and dad had a brandy and eggnog or two and we’d settle down to watch A Christmas Carol, the one with Alastair Sim and when it was finished we went up to bed and tried our best to sleep.

Now that I have a family of my own, we still do the Christmas pj’s and watch Scrooge, but now I enjoy a good strong eggnog, or three. But now that my children are getting older and that excitement that used to light their faces has dimmed, I miss the anticipation and the happiness that used to fuel the festive atmosphere. But in its place I have found a new kind of perspective as our children begin lives of their own, separate from us, and start families of their own. I wonder what traditions that my husband and I have carried on from our respective families or the one’s we began as our own little family unit, that the children will take and treasure into their own future families. And will they look back on our times together with the same love and sentiment that I still feel? I’d give just about anything to see my dad come through the door just once more with snowflakes clinging to his hair. But that will have to wait until we meet again. See, sentimental and nostalgic, that’s me. :)

So, don’t let the commotion and the Scrooge-like crowds get you down. Stop for just a minute and take out those sweet memories that make you smile or even shed a tear. Carry on those traditions, make some new ones and Hug the one’s you love a little tighter.  

I wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas.

Take care, until next time,

H K

Feel free to share some of your traditions. We'd love to hear about them.