Traditions - Christmas Eve

Some people celebrate their big gift giving Christmas Eve, others Christmas Day. My side of the family has always celebrated Christmas morning. Since this year is on my side, these are the traditions we will be observing. Frenchie's side does things slightly different.

Christmas Eve Traditions:
We have a tradition of doing Chinese food on Christmas Eve. Why this became a tradition, I can't remember. I believe we all ordered in once when there were small babies and cooking seemed like too much work at that time. We used to get take out until Frenchie and I hosted and made our own. Now we make our own every year to carry on the tradition.

When I was a kid, we always got to open one gift from our Nanna (not our grandma, but she was as close). Every year she would give us a piano book and a hand made flannel nightgown. As we got older, it was chocolate and a piano book. My sisters have carried on this tradition a little. Each child gets one gift to open and they are always new pajamas. For the last couple years us older girls all got pj's too.

We also have the Milk and Cookie tradition. The kids help one of us make cookies and they take them to the fireplace and set them out for Santa. They disappear after they all go to bed leaving a few crumbs for the next morning. My dad always says Santa would prefer Rum & Coke or a Hot Rum Toddy.

I love seeing traditions from when I was a kid seeping into the next generation. It's nice to know that traditions stay as traditions should. Knowing that we get to teach our nieces/nephew and future children how Christmas was for us means a lot.