A Better Becky Blog: Christmas Countdown Day 6: Christmas Eve/Christmas Morning

Gather 'round, my children. It is time for me to let you in on the inner secrets that are the C family Christmas Eve/Christmas Morning traditions. You are about to embark upon a journey from which there is no return. If you are prepared, venture on. If not, no one will think less of you for turning back.....okay, we will, but not to your face.

Christmas Eve is a treasured time to the C family. The traditions date back to....uh.....well, far enough that I don't remember NOT doing them, how's that? It starts off with dinner, which used to be kind of a big deal, but now we've toned it down. For the last few years, we've done soup in a bread bowl from Panera, which is always delicious. After dinner, we wait around anxiously for the next cue. When ready, we read the story of the Nativity from the Bible. This is key, as it is what Christmas is all about. Then.....when we have permission......we go upstairs to the parentals' bedroom, where all of the presents have been waiting and we bring them down to the family room. Once they are all down, we begin arranging them under the tree. It is quite the process. Big presents have to go towards the back, and you have to spread the presents out so that one person's presents aren't too close together. It's important.

Then.....when Mom feels like it's time.....and if we've been good......she goes upstairs and gets our Christmas Eve presents. Traditionally, we get an ornament and pajamas. We mark the ornaments with our initial and the year, then find a place for it on the tree. Then we change into our pajamas. That's fun. Then we all go take pictures in front of the tree. This is important for later....as in the next morning. THEN it's time for........Dad to read us our Christmas story. [YAY!] Anyone catch the reference? Anyone? Okayyyyyy. Actually, Dad used to make up a story for us. The four of us kids would go and save Christmas somehow from whatever bad guys were threatening it. Those were some funnnnnn stories. Dad would get really quiet and then scare us with his loud voice and it was awesome. Now he just reads one, which is still fun. Maybe this year we can get him to tell the story again.......

Then it's off to bed! We kids normally sleep in the same room [except the marrieds + babies] and we always set our alarm. WHAT? Set an alarm on CHRISTMAS? YES! Because we aren't allowed to wake our parents up until 7:00. So we do. Every. Year. Alarms go off at 6:50, and we brush our hair and/or teeth, then when the clock hits 7:00 on the dot, we race into the parentals' bedroom and wake them up. They are always already up, but still in bed. Then we have to coax them out of bed, usually by scratching Dad's back and rubbing Mom's feet. We ignore their complaints about wanting to shower and/or shave and then, when they say so, we can go downstairs and LOOK at the presents, but not touch. So we do. It's always fun to see what Santa brought for us and who has the biggest present under the tree. We all know good things come in small packages, but it's a pride thing. Biggest present wins.

Then we go back upstairs and see how Mom and Dad are progressing. Usually, they are up and ready, so we go back downstairs and turn on Christmas music, hand out stockings, take another picture in front of the tree with the stockings, and then wait for everyone to get situated in their traditional spots. Then.....we have at. But JUST on stockings. Always a good time, those stockings. Then we get to the Santa presents, which we open one at a time in age order. And we have to pose for a picture with our present in between. It's quite the ordeal. Once the Santa gifts are done, we go get breakfast from the kitchen. Cinnamon rolls and chocolate milk and/or hot chocolate are the norm. Then we bring it all back into the family room, and begin the present opening. One at a time. In age order.

When all is said and done, we have "fashion shows" to make sure everything fits, eat more, and nap.

There you go. Those are the C family Christmas traditions. Intense, no? Every year someone tries to change something, and usually, they do not have success. The rest of us protest. Why? Because we love our traditions. A lot. Heaven help our own families when we start this all over again.