I’M INTERESTED

Friday, December 01, 2006

I’m interested in family traditions centered around Christmas. You know, like when you open presents, or always having the same kind of meal on Christmas Eve, or always eating that meal at the same restaurant or home—these kind of things.

We always open presents on Christmas Eve. Many families insist that presents be opened Christmas morning. We always go to a Candlelight service on Christmas Eve and some families, though very religious, never go. Some families get together days before Christmas and make tamales and then eat them on Christmas Eve. Our family never knows from one Christmas Eve to the next what we will be eating. On Christmas day our family always has turkey. We have turkey for Thanksgiving and then just a few weeks later we have it again for Christmas. We have often thought we might have something else, but we never do. We have often said, “Let’s not put up a tree this year.” But we always do. We decorate outside and inside. We have often said, “Let’s not buy gifts this year or at least, let’s cut back.” We always buy gifts, and we never cut back.

Isn’t this a great time of the year? I love Christmas music—the sacred and the secular. I hope you have the Christmas “spirit.” It’s a great thing to have. While you’re enjoying all of this, don’t forget “the Reason for the season.”