Christmas Traditions

Christmas and Traditions go hand in hand. Traditions are the things we do each year that make Christmas seem like Christmas to us. Some traditions are carried out because "it's the way we've always done it", others because we cannot avoid them, and then there are the ones we continue because we cannot imagine Christmas without them. Until recent years it was a tradition to be at Brett's great-grandmother's home on Christmas Eve. It did not seem like Christmas until we had been sufficiently stuffed on her delicious homemade rolls and the many other dishes she spent weeks preparing. She loved to be surrounded by her family and she was determined to host her own event well into her 90's. We tried many times to talk her into a simple dinner of pizza or soup, but to her it did not seem like Christmas until she served a Christmas dinner that was prepared by her own hands.

With Christmas here I took some time to think about all the things that we do because it does not seem like Christmas until we have done them. Here are a few things that came to mind:

It does not seem like Christmas until we have spent three hours at the Christmas tree farm only to end up cutting down the first one we saw.

It does not seem like Christmas until the Grinch has stolen it, Clark Griswald has officially lit all 25,000 twinkle lights, Ralphie has been told, "You'll shoot your eye out", and Tiny Tim has asked God to "Bless us, everyone".

It does not seem like Christmas until we have attended ten different Christmas dinners; all with the same family members.

It does not seem like Christmas until the drive has been shoveled and the windshield has been scraped.

It does not seem like Christmas until we have waited in line at Wal-Mart for at least twenty minutes because there are only twelve cashiers at their forty lanes.

It does not seem like Christmas until each tiny light on a strand that will not work has been checked, and then found the burned out bulb was at the opposite end from where we started. If one goes out, they all go out.

It does not seem like Christmas until we have sung Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at least 200 times with our kids, and listened to Martina McBride's rendition of O Holy Night.

It does not seem like Christmas until the egg nog and fruit cake have been brought out that no one drinks or eats.

It does not seem like Christmas until we have opened those priceless homemade gifts from our children.

It does not seem like Christmas until we have reminisced about Christmases past and those loved ones who are no longer here to share them with.

It does not seem like Christmas until the stockings have been hung and the milk and cookies have been left on the table.

It does not seem like Christmas until we have heard the church choir perform their carefully practiced Christmas Cantata.

It does not seem like Christmas until we have attended the Christmas Eve candle-light service.

And, of course it just is not Christmas until we have heard the story of how the star shown bright in the sky, the wise men traveled from afar, and a savior was brought to earth in the form of a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.

In closing I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas. I hope that your Christmas is filled with all of the things that make this season so special to you. I hope your traditions are many, your stresses few, and you and your family take time to remember Jesus and his humble beginnings at this blessed time of year.