Christmas Traditions

I love traditions, and holiday traditions are perhaps the best kind. This is technically mine and James's first Christmas as husband and wife, though last year felt like it, because we were 9 days from our wedding. So far, James and I have meshed and partaken in our families' traditions. I wonder how much will change once we add our children to the mix!

What are the traditions that I hold most dear?

1. The Mechling Family Christmas Party
Every year, my extended family gather for a family party. The Mechling extended family is quite large, and growing larger all the time. We used to gather at my grandparents house, but it's been many years since we could all fit inside. (We still go there for Grandma's birthday, but that's in July, so we just spill out over the lawn.) The routine has remained the same for those same number of years: we have dinner (always with sandwiches provided by Grandma, and usually a large variety of funeral potatoes), then the young children put on a Nativity (we're thinking our Baby J will probably be Baby Jesus next year, unless somebody else has a baby in between), we play "the game" (we each bring an inexpensive, gift-wrapped food item and play some variant of a white elephant game, except the gifts do not get unwrapped until the end), and then Grandma gives out presents to everyone. The party itself is fun, but mostly I enjoy seeing my favorite aunts, uncles and cousins, who I see, on average, twice at year--at the Christmas party, and at Grandma's birthday.

2. Christmas cards
For as long as I can remember, my mother has taped Christmas cards to the inside of the front door at my parents' house. Every Christmas card she received went up on the door. I actually hadn't realized how great of an impression this particular habit had made upon me until this year. Our house is a split-entry, with the front door down a flight of steps from the main part of the house. As I received the first couple of Christmas cards, I was completely torn about where to put them. Tradition told me to tape them to the door--but that was so far away, and I wouldn't get to enjoy them as much! I tried taping them to a wall at the top of the stairs, but they kept falling down. I ended up putting them all on the fridge (I had to reorganize to make room for them!) While I wasn't completely satisfied, it was the best I could do.

3. Christmas Eve with my birth family
I reunited with my birth parents when I was 18 years old, which has become an incredible blessing in my life. That first year after reuniting, my birthdad ("Pops") invited me to spend Christmas Eve with him and his family at his parents' house--my birth-grandparents. I'll admit, it was a little awkward at first, meeting all these people whom I was technically related to, but had no relationship with whatsoever. But Grandma & Grandpa Walles have always been very gracious, and over the years I have become very fond of them. Last year, Christmas Eve was a bit of a sticky point between me and James, because his family also has a celebration on Christmas Eve, which he was sorry to miss. I am so grateful that he agreed to go with me to my birthgrandparents' house, because he totally got sold! He didn't even question, this year, that we would be going there for Christmas Eve. I guess the big thing for me is that this is the one time of year that I can count on seeing my extended-birth-family, and I enjoy maintaining that connection, however limited.

4. Stockings
James and I have not made stockings for ourselves, something I really debated this year. I am determined to institute stockings next year with Baby J. I loved my stocking as a kid. The rule in our house growing up was that my brother Kyle and I could get up as early as we wanted to open our stockings, as long as we didn't open any other presents until Mom and Dad got up. It was brilliant! Kyle and I often got up together around 3 or 4am to open our stockings. We would sit up and play and eat treats, then go back to bed until our parents were ready to get up. These are some of my fondest memories of spending time with my brother.

These are the most important traditions that have been on my mind. I actually feel that my immediate family doesn't have many traditions--something that I hope to change with mine and James's family. I hope to create customs of service, music, and family time with our children in the years to come. I feel that traditions such as these are part of what make Christmas such a special time of year.