Fun Monday - Holiday Traditions

Deborah is wanting to hear about some holiday traditions. She says:

I want to hear about or see a holiday tradition, recipe or event. It can be any holiday you like or that is special to your family. With Thanksgiving and the Winter holidays coming up, those would be especially apt, but anything that is special for your family is fine. If you have pictures - it's a bonus! Whether it's your Mom's famous stuffing recipe, going caroling on Christmas Eve, Diwali dances, or even the inevitability of Great Aunt Polly having one too many brandies and knocking over the Christmas tree - I want to hear about it!!!


Since Thanksgiving has already been and gone in Canada I'll move right on to the next big holiday, my favourite day of the year...my birthday. Ah, just joking. I haven't been a big fan of my birthday since my 25th when I spent the entire day on the couch crying and bemoaning my old age and my wasted youth while my then almost 4 and almost 3 year olds tore apart the house and each other. Good times, good times.

Anyway, a mere 9 days after my birthday is Christmas Day. My favourite Christmas tradition actually falls on Christmas Eve. As a child, we had a few Christmases where Santa would come by and drop off a small present. And even though Charlie was usually somewhat drunk (he was after all one of my dad's friends but for a year or two I believed Santa was from Belfast and therefore entitled to the drink) he still managed tp pull it off and I, for a while at least, believed that he really was the Big Man himself. Were you to see a picture? You would realize just how gulliable I was. And still am, actually.

I decided that one day when I had children I would let them open one present on Christmas Eve, and that it would be pajamas. Because what can be better than going to be in a new pair of Christmas Eve pajamas? And so, when Taylor was 9 months old and celebrating her first Christmas she received a "My First Christmas" sleeper. And a tradition was born. This will be the thrirteenth Christmas Eve that pajamas are opened around the Christmas tree. Although this year, Liam will probably just receive a pair of Christmas themed boxers, as he no longer wears pjs. Through the years there have been other presents given on Christmas Eve, always with a Christmas related theme. A picture or chapter book, a movie to watch. But always, always there are pajamas. There have been years when my children have said "Oh no, not pajamas AGAIN." I say to them that one day they will appreciate this tradition, that this is something they will do with their own children. And if they don't then I will.

Pictures? Well, I may have one or two. But with the way things are going it is best to write first, add pics later. When we get the new computer I may just scan in 13 years of Christmas pajamas. That would be a good way to waste one day of NaBloPoMo. If I could find all those pictures of course.


Taylor and Saoirse, Christmas Eve 2005. Liam spent this Christmas at his dad's, so it was just William, the girls and I. Taylor and I went to the early mass, and came home to open the Christmas Eve gifts. I think one of my favourite things about Christmas is Christmas Eve mass, I prefer midnight, but that doesn't always work out...our church offers services at 5, 7, 9 and midnight. We usually go to either 5 or 7.