They also open all the presents on Christmas Eve. (Christmas morning is just for Santa.)
They also have a big family talent show. This year I was going to do something with Gary Hoey's rendition of Twas the Night Before Christmas, but Carl said that would be "too embarrassing." (Gary Hoey raps the poem and apparently I am too white to rap.) So instead I will be doing Down in Yon Forrest again, with Carl's sister's guitar.
In my family... let's see. On my mom's side, there's the tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve, as like a preview for Christmas morning. We usually read the Christmas story.
Carl and I haven't yet figured out which traditions we'll keep. I think until we had Nathaniel we were both pretty chill about everything--too chill for traditions. But now that we have him, we'll probably have to figure out what kinds of things we want to make staples of his childhood.
I really like this one thing I found on Pinterest, a strategy for gift-giving. For birthdays and Christmas, kids get:
1 thing of want
1 thing of need
1 thing to wear
1 thing to read
I like that.
Anyway. We're also talking to Carl's brother Sam tonight. This is exciting because he's still on his mission in El Salvador and I think he gets to Skype (yay!). Nathaniel will be a full year old before Carl's brother gets home, but maybe Sam can see Nathaniel tonight.
Happy Christmas Eve! Do any of you have any good Christmas Eve traditions?
I think our family Christmas Eve traditions sound similar to Carl's family. We always have a family dinner. The menu was set for years-but after my ex left the boys and I just picked what ever sounded good. The most important part being homemade cinnamon rolls and Lion House orange rolls. (depending on which son is on a mission, I get one or the other. they don't prefer the same type of course) We always have Christmas Crackers on the table and wear the crowns that are in them at least for a picture at the table, most of us through dinner. They are an english tradition we had before B went to England on his mission. After dinner we have a musical evening. Everything from piano, clarinet, sax, harmonica, nose flutes and even my own set of chimes/pipes. Nothing formal. When the boys were younger they had holiday songs from music lessons and school concerts they could play. We have a beginning piano duet book of Christmas carols. It is probably the most fun tradition we have. My sis and I used it when we were learning to play. Then I would play w/ B when he was learning then the boys together and now we still use it. The rules are no rehearsal is allowed. No matter what laughter will ensue. One of the players will miss a repeat or a hold. It is great. We sing too. Acapella most years. Sometimes a guitar, or piano. The chimes are great because my mom can't hit hers at the right time even if she has only one pipe. More laughter. Then we slow it down and my dad or my ex or now big b read Luke 2. Then Christmas cookies and open a present if anyone wants to. I always did a bit of manipulation so the present opened would be something to keep the boys busy in the morning so we could sleep longer :) Then the boys to bed and I watched the Pope and midnight mass while wrapping presents and putting toys together.
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